El Montazah II DistrictAlexandria Governorate
العربية
Parks & gardensThe Montazah Gardens

Parks & gardensThe cosmopolitan city

The Montazah Gardens

Alexandria’s largest and best-loved park: green lawns, palms and pines ringing the sea, holding the royal palaces and the bridge to its little island within it.

The cosmopolitan city
Abbas Helmi II’s summer retreat from 1892
Opening hours
Daily from 8:00 until around midnight in summer; shorter hours in winter
Tickets
A modest entrance ticket to the gardens
Administrative section
Toussoun — on the district’s western edge
Open in maps(External link)Its place in time

Image credits

Its place in time

The cosmopolitan city · 1860 – 1950

The city spread along its shore with the railway lines, the ruling family built its summer palaces, and communities from across the Mediterranean made it home.

  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
Before it in timeNelson’s IslandCamp of the 1798 battle
Salamlek Palace with its shuttered upper floor and domed cellars, its lawn looking over the sea
After it in timeSalamlek Palace1892

Highlights

  • 1The arched island bridge
  • 2The garden lake and its boat
  • 3The inner corniche walk
  • 4Palace views through the casuarinas

The story

  1. Khedive Abbas Helmi II chose this shore as his summer retreat from 1892, enclosing broad tracts planted with palms, pines and casuarina that grew into the Montazah Gardens — the largest green lung on the city’s eastern coast.

  2. The gardens run between the corniche and their inner hills, holding small ornamental lakes and a channel crossed by the famous arched bridge to the plant island, stone grottoes, and tree-lined walks each ending at a view over the sea or the palaces.

  3. After 1952 the gardens passed to public authorities and opened to everyone; they became first destination for Alexandria’s families and then for its visitors — morning promenades, weddings by the lake, and evening seats facing the sun as it sets behind the city.

Around it

© OpenStreetMap

Nearby landmarks

Distances are as the crow flies. Choose any pin to open that place.

More parks & gardens