Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a sunken city off the coast of Egypt and are now recovering its 2,000-year-old remnants from the seabed of Abu Qir Bay, near Alexandria.
Divers and cranes helped to recover massive relics sunken in the Abu Qir Bay in the Mediterranean Sea city of Alexandria, Egypt. Image source
It’s no doubt an impressive technological achievement, which represents the country’s first such complex underwater operation in 25 years. Soon, we’ll know much more about Egypt’s Canopus, the prominent Ptolemaic-era port city, which was lost in the Bay of Abu Qir, along with Herakleion and Menouthis which were also engulfed by the sea.
Three massive ancient statues have already been recovered, including a quartzite sphinx featuring the cartouche of Ramesses II, a granite colossus representing an unidentified man from the late Ptolemaic period, and a white marble statue depicting a Roman nobleman.
“Some treasures will remain preserved underwater due to their historical context, while others are retrieved under rigorous scientific standards,” said Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, who also thanked the Armed Forces, Naval Forces, and the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces for their support, according to Ahram Online.
He observed that the recovery is the result of decades of underwater survey work and occurs 25 years after the last similar operation in Egypt.
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Previous surveys have uncovered a variety of artifacts, including amphorae marked with trademarks, shipwrecks laden with goods, royal statues, sphinxes, ushabti figurines, stone anchors, and coins. All these findings originate from several historical periods: Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic.
The Abu Qir site, once shrouded in mystery, continues to unveil treasures that illuminate what scholars refer to as “sunken Egypt.” This ongoing discovery invites us to ponder the depths of history hidden beneath the waves. Senior underwater archaeologist Mohamed Mustafa has announced that further discoveries are anticipated, including a remarkably well-preserved ancient ship currently under examination.
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Such revelations encourage reflection on the enduring legacy of past civilizations and their stories, which await being told.
The name Canopus appears in a 6th-century BC poem by Solon.
Excavations near modern Abu Qir revealed traces of the city with quays and Ramesses II monuments, possibly added later. The foundation date of Canopus is unknown, but Herodotus calls it an ancient port. According to a myth, it was Menelaus who founded the city, naming it after his pilot, Canopus, who died from a serpent bite.
Legend says Menelaus built a monument that became the town’s center. Ptolemy III erected an Osiris temple there; Herodotus mentions an older shrine to Heracles nearby serving as an asylum for fugitive slaves. Osiris was uniquely worshipped as a vase with a human head at Canopus.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
