Ancient site · Alexandria
Kom el-Dikka
An archaeological park in the heart of Alexandria with Egypt's only Roman theatre of its kind, a bath complex, lecture halls and the mosaic-floored Villa of the Birds.
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The story
In the early Roman period Kom el-Dikka was a well-to-do residential quarter of villas with mosaic floors. From roughly the 4th to the 7th century, in the late Roman and Byzantine eras, it became a civic centre dominated by large public works. Among the highlights are a small theatre with marble seating, a bath complex fed by a large cistern, and at least twenty lecture halls thought to have formed a centre of higher learning. The Villa of the Birds, named for its mosaic floors, is among the finest Roman-era houses preserved in the city. Modern excavation began in 1960 and is still carried out by a joint Polish-Egyptian mission from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.
Good to know
- Kom el-Dikka's Roman theatre is described by official heritage sources as the only example of its kind in Egypt.
- The park holds at least twenty lecture halls, thought to have formed a centre of higher learning in ancient Alexandria.
- The name Kom el-Dikka is commonly translated as a mound or pile of rubble, which is what the hill was before excavation revealed the ruins.
- The Villa of the Birds keeps mosaic floors decorated with birds, among the finest Roman-era house interiors preserved in the city.
Visiting tips
Per the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities site: open daily 9:00 to 17:00, foreign visitors EGP 200 (EGP 100 students). Please check hours and prices before visiting, as they can change.