亚历山大希腊罗马博物馆(Greco-Roman Museum)坐落在埃及亚历山大港市中心,在经历了长达18年的闭馆修缮后,终于在2023年10月11日重新向公众开放。这里是地中海地区专门展示希腊罗马文明规模最大的博物馆,馆内从4万多件藏品中精选出约6000件文物,时间跨度从公元前4世纪的亚历山大大帝征服时期,一直延伸到公元7世纪的拜占庭时代,完整呈现了古埃及文明与古典文明交相辉映的黄金岁月。
这座博物馆的历史最早可以追溯到1892年,由当时的埃及统治者克迪夫·阿巴斯·希尔米二世(Khedive Abbas Helmy II)支持兴建。最初它的地址并不在这里,由于藏品数量激增,1895年才搬迁到现址。到了2005年,因为建筑结构老化和展陈设施陈旧,博物馆宣布闭馆大修。原本预计几年的工程,受制于各种因素拖了整整18年,直到2023年底才以全新的姿态重回大众视野。现在的馆舍不仅修缮了原有的新古典主义立面,还增设了先进的温控系统和数字化展陈设备,参观体验比起闭馆前有了质的飞跃。
博物馆主楼共有两层,通过30个展厅将宏大的历史叙事拆解开来。一层主要陈列大型石刻、雕像以及与古代宗教、王权相关的重型文物;二层则更加细腻,展示了陶器、钱币、珠宝以及著名的塔纳格拉陶俑。建议进馆后先顺时针参观一层,最后去中庭的露天花园走走。中庭散落着巨大的石柱残片和神庙构建,阳光洒在风化严重的石灰岩上,那种属于地中海文明的沧桑感扑面而来。这里的动线设计比埃及博物馆要科学得多,只要顺着展厅编号走,基本不会错过任何重点。
走进一层核心展区,你一定会被那尊巨大的黑色玄武岩阿匹斯神牛像(Apis Bull)吸引。这是在亚历山大塞拉比尤姆神庙遗址发现的,神牛头顶日盘,象征着古埃及力量与神权的结合。更值得玩味的是关于塞拉皮斯(Serapis)的雕像,这位神祇是托勒密王朝为了统合希腊人和埃及人的信仰而“创造”出来的。你会在雕塑中看到希腊式的面孔和发型,但佩戴着埃及的神圣头饰,这种文化拼接在亚历山大表现得淋漓尽致。
亚历山大曾是古代马赛克艺术的中心,馆内收藏的马赛克画水平极高。最有名的莫过于“索菲洛斯马赛克”(Mosaic of Sophilos),这是唯一一幅留有艺术家签名的古代马赛克作品。另外一幅极其生动的肖像画据信是托勒密三世的王后贝勒尼基二世(Berenice II),她被描绘成盾牌状的徽章中心,眼神深邃,色彩过渡自然得像油画一样。说真的,如果不近距离观察,很难想象这些极其细微的阴影和表情竟然是由无数颗只有几毫米大的彩色石块拼接而成的。
如果你觉得石雕太冷冰冰,二层的“塔纳格拉”(Tanagra)陶俑展厅一定会让你眼前一亮。这些小型陶俑大多是优雅的女性形象,她们身着精致的希腊褶皱长裙,有的在耳语,有的在沉思,甚至连发型和遮阳伞的细节都清晰可见。这些陶俑不是为了供奉神明,而是古希腊中产阶级生活风尚的缩影。从这些跨越两千年的小雕像里,你能真实感受到当时亚历山大市民阶层对美和时尚的追求,非常具有人情味。
博物馆位于亚历山大市中心的福阿德街(Fouad Street),这一带本身就是亚历山大最有历史底蕴的街区。从亚历山大最著名的地标——亚历山大图书馆打车过来大约只需10到15分钟,车费通常在30到50埃镑之间(取决于你砍价的本事或打车软件的实时价格)。如果想感受当地生活,也可以乘坐那辆复古的蓝皮电车,虽然慢,但很有代入感。建议把博物馆安排在行程的第一站,因为这里下午5点就关门,而且周边的老城区非常适合在看完展览后步行游览。
目前博物馆每天9:00至17:00开放,但下午4:00之后通常就不让进人了,建议最迟下午2点入场,预留3小时参观。门票价格对外国游客来说涨幅较大,目前成年人票价约为450埃镑,持国际学生证(ISIC)可以享受半价。需要特别注意的是,埃及大部分博物馆现在已不再接受现金购买门票,必须刷信用卡、借记卡或者使用当地的支付码。去之前一定要确保卡里有钱且能正常跨境支付,否则到了门口进不去会非常尴尬。
博物馆内部允许拍照,但严禁使用闪光灯。对于大部分游客来说,用手机拍摄是免费的,但如果你携带了专业的三脚架或大型摄影器材,可能需要支付额外的摄影费用。进门处有安检,大件行李需要寄存。馆内空调开得很足,即使外面是地中海的炎热夏日,里面也可能有点凉,带一件轻薄的长袖外套会让你参观得更舒服。另外,馆内的洗手间非常整洁,这在埃及的公共场所里算是很难得的加分项了。
该博物馆在经历了18年的闭馆翻修后,已于2023年10月11日正式重新对外开放。目前除了极个别临时维护日外,每天9:00至17:00均正常接待游客。
馆内共有30个展厅,藏品约6000件。如果你是深度文博爱好者,仔细阅读说明牌并观赏细节,至少需要3至4小时;普通游客走马观花式参观,大约也需要1.5至2小时才能走完主要展区。
不可以。根据埃及旅游和文物部的最新规定,亚历山大希腊罗马博物馆已实行全面无现金化。游客必须使用具备国际支付功能的信用卡或借记卡在售票窗口刷卡购票。
目前馆内的展品说明牌主要是阿拉伯语和英语双语,暂时没有提供官方中文语音导览器。建议下载翻译软件的拍照翻译功能,或者提前在网上做好功课了解重点文物背景。
最推荐的方式是从开罗拉美西斯火车站乘坐火车前往亚历山大,车程约2.5至3小时。抵达亚历山大火车站(Sidi Gaber或Misr Station)后,打车约15分钟即可到达位于市中心的博物馆。
A I had a fantastic experience. The exhibits are well-curated, showcasing a rich collection of artifacts from ancient Greece and Rome. The museum is informative and beautifully maintained. Highly recommend for history enthusiasts!
A I had a fantastic experience. The exhibits are well-curated, showcasing a rich collection of artifacts from ancient Greece and Rome. The museum is informative and beautifully maintained. Highly recommend for history enthusiasts!
Alya Shehab The best museum I've been to so far in my 10 years of living in Egypt. It's so well organized and detailed, with so many different things to see. There are multiple floors and a cafe too. The information is very interesting and informative as well as very cool if you're interested in this type of history. So many amazing artifacts and statues and there were even videos of how some statues were found under the ocean. So amazing I recommend going for sure. The paying is only through visa though and you need to park far and walk to the place but still worth it.
Alya Shehab The best museum I've been to so far in my 10 years of living in Egypt. It's so well organized and detailed, with so many different things to see. There are multiple floors and a cafe too. The information is very interesting and informative as well as very cool if you're interested in this type of history. So many amazing artifacts and statues and there were even videos of how some statues were found under the ocean. So amazing I recommend going for sure. The paying is only through visa though and you need to park far and walk to the place but still worth it.
Peter F Congratulations, Alexandria, on your world-class museum! 😊 The collection is well organized, and the first time I see in Egypt museum treasures presented with detailed descriptions, maps and historical context. Wonderful! In particular, I enjoyed seeing some treasures that are actually from Alexandria, although many items are from around Egypt during the Greco Roman period. Accepts Visa 💳 for entry payment.
Peter F Congratulations, Alexandria, on your world-class museum! 😊 The collection is well organized, and the first time I see in Egypt museum treasures presented with detailed descriptions, maps and historical context. Wonderful! In particular, I enjoyed seeing some treasures that are actually from Alexandria, although many items are from around Egypt during the Greco Roman period. Accepts Visa 💳 for entry payment.
AbdAllah Mohamed Monir This is one of the best museums in Egypt and to be honest such a great place to go out. It's filled with so much history and iconic pieces. There could be more labels on the pieces and the gift shop should be better as it's just like any Bazar or basic gift shop out there. The lounge area and the cafe are a great area to hang out too.
AbdAllah Mohamed Monir This is one of the best museums in Egypt and to be honest such a great place to go out. It's filled with so much history and iconic pieces. There could be more labels on the pieces and the gift shop should be better as it's just like any Bazar or basic gift shop out there. The lounge area and the cafe are a great area to hang out too.