The Egyptian government announced on Saturday the discovery of a well-preserved fourth-century Byzantine city in the western desert and 18 ancient Greco-Roman tombs near Alexandria.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, these major archaeological findings unveil extensive details of ancient daily life and aim to expand the region's cultural tourism market.
Byzantine Settlement in Dakhla Oasis
The newly unearthed Byzantine settlement in the Dakhla Oasis features organized residential quarters intersected by public squares, north-south thoroughfares, and east-west streets.
A prominent basilica-style church dating back to the mid-fourth century stands at the head of the settlement, flanked by the defensive ruins of two ancient watchtowers.
Archaeologists also discovered heavily fortified walls and numerous domestic structures containing individual reception halls, kitchens, vaulted roofs, and traditional bread ovens.
Excavations inside the quarters yielded bronze coins bearing imperial portraits, alongside gold coins from the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II, who ruled from 337 to 361.
Furthermore, researchers recovered roughly 200 inscribed pottery fragments, called ostraca, which preserve written records of daily correspondence, economic activities, and ancient commercial transactions.
Separately, the archaeological mission working at Marina el-Alamein on the northwestern coast uncovered 18 tombs, increasing the total documented tombs at the site to 44.
This coastal location, situated approximately 100 kilometers west of Alexandria, is widely believed to be the ancient Mediterranean port city of Leukaspis.
The newly found cemetery contains 11 rock-cut tombs, known as hypogea, extending eight meters underground, alongside seven surface tombs built from durable limestone blocks.
Several burial chambers remained completely sealed with heavy stone slabs since antiquity, preserving their historical contents and structural integrity for over 2,000 years.
Among the key artifacts is a 2.5-meter-long granite sarcophagus with its original lid intact, which currently undergoes skeletal analysis by expert research teams.
Scientists also recovered 24 thin gold pieces, traditionally called golden tongues, placed inside the mouths of the deceased to symbolically grant speech in the afterlife.
One notable gold artifact features the protective Eye of Horus symbol, reflecting the deep persistence of pharaonic religious beliefs during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras.
The excavation further yielded an unfinished marble statue of the goddess Aphrodite, a plaster sphinx, and a limestone offering altar shaped like a traditional false door.
Government officials stated that ongoing development projects at the coastal site will introduce pedestrian routes, a visitor center, and an open-air theater by early next year.
