In a remarkable underwater recovery, archaeologists raised a trove of ancient artefacts from the ruins of a 2,000-year-old sunken city in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt.
In the operation, heavy cranes are utilised to lift priceless treasures from the shallow waters of Abu Qir Bay, which lies between the Rosetta mouth of the Nile and the town of Abu Qir.
Archaeologists recover a headless statue, a sphinx, and a figure of a priest, providing a tangible link to a lost era.
Experts believe that the site is the extension of the ancient city of Canopus, a prominent centre during Ptolemaic and subsequent Roman rule.
As stated by Mohamed Ismail, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, “The artefacts that you see date back to successive periods, starting from the Ptolemaic era.”
Scientists claim that there's a lot more hidden in the sea of the sunken city that is yet to be unveiled. The Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Sherif Fathi, stated: “There’s a lot underwater, but what we’re able to bring up is limited.”
Due to the strict international guidelines that are mandatory to follow during the retrieval process of these artefacts, researchers note that much will remain as “sunken heritage” as per UNESCO’s Convention.
The newly discovered pieces are undergoing restoration and are slated for the “Secrets of the Sunken City” exhibition which will be held at the Alexandria National Museum.
The exhibition highlights Egypt's ongoing efforts to leverage its vast archaeological wealth to foster cultural tourism and showcase the depths of its history.
