Discover Kom el-Dikka: Alexandria’s Roman Amphitheater & Lost University

Your Walking Tour of Kom el-Dikka: What to See

This is not a single monument but an entire park of ruins. An expert Egypt Fun Tours guide can bring these stones to life, but here is what you will discover.

1. The Roman Amphitheater (The Main Event)

The star of the show is the beautiful Roman theater. As you enter, the first thing you will notice is its intimate, semi-circular design.

• A Roman Theater, Not an Arena: First, you should know this is technically an odeon, or a small, roofed theater. It was not a massive coliseum for gladiator battles. Instead, it was a prestigious venue for musical performances, public speeches, and lively poetry readings.
• The Marble Seats: You will see 13 tiers of white and grey marble seats. Look closely! The lower, more comfortable tiers were for VIPs and important officials. The upper tiers were for the general public.
• The “Backstage”: At the top of the Roman theater, you can find five small, roofed rooms. Historians believe these served as a “backstage” for performers to prepare.
• Test the Acoustics: Stand in the center of the stage, on the mosaic floor. Speak in a normal voice. You will be amazed at how the theater’s design naturally amplifies your voice, carrying it to the very last row.

2. The Lost University of Alexandria

Next to the Roman amphitheater lies a discovery that truly shocked the world. For centuries, ancient texts described Alexandria as the intellectual capital of the Roman Empire, but the physical location of its university was lost.

Then, in 2004, archaeologists unearthed it right here.

You can walk among the ruins of 20 identical, U-shaped lecture halls (auditoria). This was the academic heart of the city. You are standing in the very classrooms where philosophers, mathematicians, and doctors taught the brightest minds of the Roman world.

3. The Villa of the Birds

This site also shows you how the city’s wealthy elite lived. Your guide will take you to the ruins of the Villa of the Birds, a luxurious Roman home from the 1st century AD.

The villa gets its name from its greatest treasure: a stunning, preserved mosaic floor. This masterpiece, which was the floor of the main dining room, depicts nine different species of birds in exquisite, colorful detail. It is one of the finest examples of Roman domestic art ever found in Egypt.

4. The Roman Baths Complex

Finally, you will explore the ruins of a large, imperial bathhouse. While only the foundations and lower levels remain, you can still see the complex brick-built heating systems (hypocausts) and the layout of the hot rooms (caldaria) and cold pools.

The baths were a central part of Roman social life. This is where people came to relax, socialize, and do business.