Egypt revealed portions of a sunken city off the coast of Alexandria on Thursday, exposing structures, relics, and an old dock that date back more than 2,000 years.
retrieval of submerged artifacts. (AFP/Khaled Desouki)
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt — Egypt revealed portions of a sunken city off the shore of Alexandria on Thursday, exposing structures, relics, and an old dock that date back more than 2,000 years.
MARKETING
According to Egyptian authorities, the site, which is situated in the waters of Abu Qir Bay, might be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus, which was a major hub during the 600-year-long Roman Empire and the roughly 300-year-long Ptolemaic dynasty.
A wealth of historical artifacts were left behind when the city and neighboring port of Heracleion were gradually inundated by a succession of earthquakes and rising sea levels.
On Thursday, divers in wetsuits who had assisted in the retrieval of the statues rejoiced from the shore as cranes slowly raised them from the depths.
Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathi stated, "There is a lot underwater, but what we are able to bring up is limited, it's only specific material according to strict criteria."
The ministry unveiled underwater remains Thursday that include limestone structures that could have been commercial or industrial facilities, residential buildings, or places of worship.
Additionally discovered were rock-carved ponds and reservoirs used for fish farming and household water storage.
Other noteworthy discoveries were pre-Roman sphinxes and statues of royal figures, including a largely intact sphinx bearing the cartouche of Ramses II, one of the most well-known and longest-ruling ancient pharaohs in the nation.
Many of the statues lack body pieces, such as the lower half of a marble-carved image of a Roman nobleman and a granite statue of a decapitated Ptolemaic figure.
A 125-meter (410-foot) pier that was utilized as a harbor for small boats until the Byzantine period was discovered to have a commercial ship, stone anchors, and a harbor crane from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
Numerous historic artifacts and historical remains may be found in Alexandria, but Egypt's second city is in danger of being destroyed by the same seas that destroyed Canopus and Heracleion.
The coastal city, which sinks by more than three millimeters (0.1 inches) annually, is particularly vulnerable to climate change and increasing sea levels.
By 2050, a third of Alexandria will be under water or unusable, even under the best-case scenario set by the UN.
.png)
