Sights

The Rosetta Museum, built by Mr. Arab Killy (a governor of Rosetta in the 18th century), features nothing of interest except perhaps the ridiculous life-size diorama of the Rashidan rendition of minutemen inflicting generous amounts of pain on invading British brigades, their plaster visages wearing improbable grimaces. (Museum open daily 8am-4pm. Admission LE5, students LE2.50, camera privileges LE] 0.) The 17th-century Zaghlouf Mosque is at the end of the main street running south from the train station; you can also take the scenic route: from the corniche, go inland past the museum and swing south through the souk, full of sweets and juice shops. Ignore the water and/or sewage filling it; you can walk all the way around and look in at the damaged, but basically intact archways and columns, and at the Arabic inscriptions on the outside. For many other traditional, colorful buildings, look along Port Said St., opposite the bus stop.

About 5km from Rosetta, die recently restored Fort of Qaytbay (not to be confused with the one in Alexandria) guards the strategic entrance to the Nile. (Open daily 9am-4pm, during Ramadan 9am-3pm. Admission LE6, students LE3.) Built in 1479 by Sultan Ashraf Abu Nasr Qaytbay to serve in the first line of defense against the Ottoman Turks and the Crusaders coming from the Delta, this structure used to overlook the surrounding land; now, due to soil and clay deposits from the Nile, the ground level is the same as that of the fortress. Fortification of this fortress by the French in 1799 prompted the importation of stone from Upper Egypt, and one of the French soldiers noticed writing on one of the stones.