Downtown DistrictAlexandria Governorate
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Squares & streetsMisr Railway Station

Squares & streetsThe Mohamed Ali revival

Misr Railway Station

Downtown Alexandria’s railway gateway, recognised by its stone-fronted building, opened in 1927, and its long association with travel.

The Mohamed Ali revival
The railway from the 1850s — present building 1927
Opening hours
Operating around the clock to the train timetable
Tickets
Train tickets from the counters or the national railways app
Administrative section
Moharram Bek
Open in maps(External link)Its place in time

Image credits

What sets it apart

A 1920s stone front by L. Iconomopoulos and Antonio Lasciac, built of stone brought from Greece and Italy

6 documented memories

Its place in time

The Mohamed Ali revival · 1805 – 1860

Alexandria returned as a port and a trading centre: Consuls’ Square was laid out, the communities built their churches, and the first railway in Africa and the Middle East arrived.

  1. Fouad Street — the Canopic Way331 BC — the Canopic Way
  2. Roman Theatre at Kom El DikkaRoman era, most likely 4th century — uncovered in 1964
  3. Shallalat GardensOn the line of the 9th-century wall, under Ibn Tulun
  4. Remains of the Alexandria City Wall9th century — under Ibn Tulun
  5. Misr Railway StationThe railway from the 1850s — present building 1927
  6. Mahatet El Raml & Saad Zaghloul SquareFrom 1863 — the Ramleh line’s terminus
  7. The Alexandria Tram1863
  8. Eliyahu Hanavi SynagogueRebuilt in the 19th century — foundation plaque dated 1881
  9. Graeco-Roman Museum1892
  10. The Statue of Nubar PashaUnveiled in 1904, according to a museum record
  11. The Windsor Palace Hotel1906, by the hotel’s own account
  12. Cavafy MuseumCavafy’s home from 1907 to 1933
  13. The Lycée Al-Horreya1909–1910 — the Shatby building from 1913
  14. Sayed Darwish Theatre — Alexandria Opera House1921 — the Mohamed Ali Theatre
  15. Alexandria National MuseumLate-1920s palace — museum since 2003
  16. The Cecil Hotel1929
  17. Museum of Fine Arts1954
  18. Bibliotheca Alexandrina2002
  • Ancient Alexandria331 BC – 7th century AD
  • The Islamic centuries7th century – 1805
  • The Mohamed Ali revival1805 – 1860
  • The cosmopolitan city1860 – 1950
  • Contemporary Alexandria1950 – today
A standing section of Alexandria’s stone city wall, its coursing visible
Before it in timeRemains of the Alexandria City Wall9th century — under Ibn Tulun
Mahatet El Raml with its yellow trams, platforms and the clock tower behind the square
After it in timeMahatet El Raml & Saad Zaghloul SquareFrom 1863 — the Ramleh line’s terminus

Highlights

  • 1The Cairo–Alexandria line, running since the 1850s
  • 2The station building, opened in 1927
  • 3The historic stone façade
  • 4Proximity to the Roman theatre

The story

  1. The station serves the Cairo–Alexandria line, which began running in the 1850s and which Egyptian National Railways describes as the first railway in Africa and the Middle East.

  2. The present building opened in 1927. Its design won an international competition for the Greek engineer L. Iconomopoulos and the Italian architect Antonio Lasciac, and a Belgian company built it in stone brought from Greece and Italy. Restoration of its historic façade and platforms was under way in 2020.

  3. The station can be a starting point for Kom El Dikka and Nabi Daniel Street. Check the route before setting out, particularly with luggage or accessibility needs.

Memories of the place

Every memory is taken from a published, documented source.

  1. 12 July 1851

    The contract for Egypt’s first railway, from Cairo to Alexandria, was signed by Stephan Bey for Abbas I and by Borthwick for Robert Stephenson.

  2. 1854

    The first section of the line opened, between Alexandria and Kafr el-Zayyat on the Rosetta branch of the Nile.

  3. 1856

    The main line was open to public traffic in the opening months of the year.

  4. 1856–1857

    The first station was built not far from the present one, to a design by Edwin C. Baines.

  5. 1876Sources differ on this date

    Another account says Alexandria’s first main station was at Sidi Gaber and that the present city station dates from 1876.

  6. 1927

    King Fuad I officially opened the present station. The Greek engineer L. Iconomopoulos and the Italian architect Antonio Lasciac had won the international competition for its design, and a Belgian company built it with stone imported from Greece and Italy.

Around it

© OpenStreetMap

Nearby landmarks

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