A focused, well-organised museum in an Italian-style villa on Tariq al-Horreya, telling the city's story chronologically across three floors: Pharaonic, Graeco-Roman, and Coptic-Islamic-Modern. The collection of around 1,800 objects is smaller than the Cairo Museum but better presented — labels are clear, in both Arabic and English, and the lighting is thoughtful.
The basement contains a partial reconstruction of an Alexandrian tomb chamber. The ground floor has Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman material, including artefacts recovered from underwater excavations in the eastern harbour. The upper floor covers the Coptic, Islamic, and modern eras. Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours. Open daily; modest entry fee. The Graeco-Roman Museum a few blocks west holds a much larger collection of the same period and is the more important destination if you have to choose.