Travel Guide Rosette

"Rachid" in Arabic. Founded in the 9th century, Rosetta became Egypt's main port in the 17th and 18th centuries. Alexandria took over the leading role in the 19th century, leaving Rosetta a little more calm and serenity. Rosette, however, turned towards the Nile and the sea, and made its living from fishing and dates. Famous for the Rosetta stone discovered in 1799 and deciphered by Champollion, it is also the city with the most Islamic monuments after Cairo. Its baths, mosques and citadel give it a medieval charm that is unique in Egypt. Since 2017, it has been the focus of a vast rehabilitation project. Wrongly ignored by tourists until now, its mayor and antiquities director are doing their utmost to put it on the tourist must-see list.Of the twenty-two splendid Ottoman-era merchant houses, eight are worth visiting. Solidly built of black and red bricks, they feature sublime moucharabiehs that immediately draw the visitor's imagination back to times gone by when, hidden behind these wooden lacework windows, women used to feast their eyes on the spectacle of the street. Don't miss a visit to the hammam Azouz, the city's oldest, built in the 18th century. Although no longer in use, it still boasts marble-paved rooms and domes with colored glass.When you arrive, the police may assign you a guard to "ensure your safety". Nothing seems dangerous, only that you won't be bothered.