El Montazah II DistrictAlexandria Governorate
العربية

Squares & streetsThe Islamic centuries

Abu Qir Bay & Harbour

The great fishing village of north-eastern Alexandria, and its bay — which carried ancient Canopus’s name and witnessed the most famous naval battle of the eighteenth century.

The Islamic centuries
The battle of 1798
Opening hours
Village and harbour live all day; fish markets peak at dawn and when boats land
Tickets
No tickets — a public place
Administrative section
Abu Qir
Open in maps(External link)Its place in time

Its place in time

The Islamic centuries · 7th century – 1805

Alexandria remained Egypt’s gateway on the sea, guarded by walls, forts and towers, and a destination for scholars and Sufis.

  1. Abu Qir Bay & HarbourThe battle of 1798
  2. Nelson’s IslandCamp of the 1798 battle
  3. The Montazah GardensAbbas Helmi II’s summer retreat from 1892
  4. Salamlek Palace1892
  5. Haramlik Palace1932
  6. The Palestine Hotel1964
  • Ancient Alexandria331 BC – 7th century AD
  • The Islamic centuries7th century – 1805
  • The Mohamed Ali revival1805 – 1860
  • The cosmopolitan city1860 – 1950
  • Contemporary Alexandria1950 – today
After it in timeNelson’s IslandCamp of the 1798 battle

Highlights

  • 1Dawn fish auctions on the quay
  • 2Sea-facing fish restaurants
  • 3Nelson’s Island seen from the beach
  • 4The terminus of the Abu Qir line

The story

  1. Abu Qir lives from the sea as it has for thousands of years: fishing boats slip out before dawn and return at noon to one of Alexandria’s largest landing harbours, while fish markets set up along the quay where townspeople buy the day’s catch straight from the crews.

  2. History here comes in layers: above the quay a working village; beneath the sands Canopus and buried antiquities; and on these waters in August 1798 Nelson’s fleet met Admiral Brueys’ French squadron in the Battle of the Nile that decided Napoleon’s expedition.

  3. Today the village sits beside the Abu Qir railway terminus and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport — wooden boats, morning trains and laboratory students of twenty nationalities sharing one shoreline.

Around it

© OpenStreetMap

Nearby landmarks

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