The Villa is located at the southern entrance of Alexandria near the Mahmoudia Canal and is surrounded by 48 hectares of green space divided into several thematic sections. The green zone includes: the Antoniadis Garden, the Flower Garden, the Zoo, the Botanical Garden and the Nuzha or Nouzaba Garden.
The area was a suburb of ancient Alexandria and was inhabited by people such as Callimachus (310-240 BC) the chief librarian of the famous ancient Library of Alexandria.
Antoniadis Garden includes statues of famous men, such as Nelson, Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Columbus. The vegetation is tropical. The Zoo was founded in 1907 and has an area of ​​25 hectares.
The area was known as Somuha and was a magnet for wealthy Alexandrians in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its name comes from the Jewish architect Joseph Somuha, who came from Baghdad. He came to Egypt in 1920 and created Somuha City, as it was called, which was the local counterpart of Cairo's Heliopolis, a modern suburb for the affluent classes. Many foreigners lived here.
Antoniadis' Palace and his Garden were designed as a miniature of the Palace of Versailles. The villa and its garden were created in the 19th century and were used mainly to house the collection of Greek style marble monuments owned by Sir John Antoniadis. In the garden there are French style (Jardin à la française) and English style (Jardin à l'anglaise) zones.
The Villa has a basic level of 434 m2, a ground floor of 1,085 m2, a second level of 860 m2 and a roof of 480 m2. The total area of ​​the villa is 2,859 m2. The ground floor and upper floor include 15 rooms each. There are also various archeological remains, including a mound and a cistern.
The tomb in the basement of the Villa is painted in the form of Agathodemon, who was a god in the form of a blessing. The popular imagination, combining the presence of the snake with the heavenly environment where the tomb was found, called it "Adam and Eve's tomb".
The tomb leads to a deep staircase with 44 steps that ends in a flat opening. It is believed to date from the 1st century BC. It is well designed and well founded. It consists of an open patio surrounded by rooms with various objects of the deceased and the funeral bed.
At the time of John Antoniadis, the villa was a gathering place for the social elite of the city and impressive receptions and parties took place here. In 1918, Sir John's son, Antonios Antoniadis, decided to donate the building, the surrounding area and the entire garden to the Municipality of Alexandria, on the condition that they be called "Kipos Antoniadis" and "Villa Antoniadis".
Since then it has been used as a place of hospitality for high-ranking Egyptian visitors, such as the kings of Belgium, Greece, Italy, and the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had married the sister of King Farouk of Egypt.
In 1936 the Villa hosted the signing ceremony of the Egyptian-British agreement. This is where the first meeting of the Egyptian Olympic Committee took place.
After the Nasser Revolution of 1952, part of the original Garden was used to expand the Nuzha Park and Zoo.
After about 1970 there was a general abandonment of the Villa to its fate, but the Gardens generally remain in good condition.
In 2004 the governor of Alexandria gave the Villa and the Antoniadis Garden to the new Library of Alexandria, together with the furniture and all the objects, with the agreement that the building be restored and its contents be exhibited as part of the Antoniadis Collection. Eventually, the Library Foundation, after maintaining the mansion, intended it to house the "Alexandria Mediterranean Research Center", an institution that aims to exploit the city's cultural heritage. The budget provides $ 2.5 million for the renovation of the Villa, $ 1 million for the Garden and $ 500,000 for the maintenance and renewal of the furniture and equipment.
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