Villa of the Birds

Located within the Kom el-Dikka archaeological park, the Villa of the Birds is a Roman-era residence dating to the 2nd century CE, named for the elaborate mosaic floors depicting a variety of birds, including partridges, ducks, and doves, rendered in fine polychrome tesserae. The mosaics, among the best-preserved Roman floor mosaics found in Alexandria, decorated the reception and living rooms of what was likely an upper-class private house, offering rare insight into domestic life and decorative taste in Roman Alexandria alongside the more commonly excavated public monuments of the era. The villa was uncovered during the broader excavation of the Kom el-Dikka site beginning in the 1960s by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, which has continued conservation work on the fragile mosaic surfaces, including construction of a protective shelter over the excavated rooms to shield the floors from weathering. The layout preserves partial wall foundations alongside the mosaic floors, allowing visitors to trace the approximate room divisions of the original house.