In the eastern quarter of the ancient city of Alexandria, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, lies the Chatby (or al-Shatby) necropolis. This private Ptolemaic cemetery dates to the 4th century BC, and is considered to be the oldest in the city, belonging to the first Alexandrian families. Though the Chatby tombs are now above ground in the open air, they were once underground burial vaults. Visitors to the necropolis must descend a number of steps to reach the lower level of sandy ground where the tombs now stand.

The complex is surrounded by a garden pathway of flowers, shrubbery, and simple statuary, including the remnants of Greco-Roman funerary monuments. The tombs themselves are of modest size, and distinctly Hellenistic in style. Each one is modeled after a typical ancient Greek house, with a doorway that opens into a corridor and two chambers.

HOURS OF OPERATION:
Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

TICKET COST:
Egyptian: 2 LE
Foreign: 15 LE

LOCATION:
Sharia Port Said, Chatby, Alexandria

DIRECTIONS:
BY BUS or TRAIN: Buses and trains run regularly from Cairo and surrounding major cities to Alexandria. From within Alexandria, take the bus #218 from Midan Ramla.

BY TAXI: From within Alexandria, ask for “al-shatby.”

PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE TOMBS.