Egypt has unveiled remains of an ancient sunken city off the coast of Alexandria — buildings, artifacts, and an ancient port over 2,000 years old, reported Arab News. According to authorities, the site in Abu Qir Bay may be a continuation of the ancient city of Canopus — an important center during the Ptolemaic period, which lasted nearly three centuries, and the Roman Empire, which ruled for around six centuries.

A series of earthquakes and rising sea levels gradually submerged the city and the nearby port of Heracleion, leaving underwater a true treasure of historical finds. Massive cranes slowly lifted statues from the depths while divers involved in the operation applauded from the shore.

“There is still much underwater, but what we recover is determined according to strict criteria. The rest will remain part of our underwater heritage,” said Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.

Among the revealed ruins are limestone structures that were likely temples, residences, and commercial or industrial buildings, as well as water reservoirs and stone basins used for water storage and fish farming. Statues of rulers and sphinxes from the pre-Roman era were found, including a partially preserved sphinx with the cartouche of Ramesses II — one of the most celebrated and long-reigning pharaohs.

Many of the statues are heavily damaged — a granite figure from the Ptolemaic period is headless, and a marble sculpture of a Roman aristocrat is preserved only from the waist down. Archaeologists also discovered a merchant ship, stone anchors, a harbor crane, and a 125-meter-long quay used for small boats up to the Byzantine period.

Alexandria, a city with countless ancient remains and treasures, today faces the same threat that engulfed Canopus and Heracleion. Due to climate change and rising sea levels, Egypt’s second-largest city is sinking at over three millimeters per year. Even under the UN’s most optimistic scenario, by 2050 one-third of Alexandria will be underwater or uninhabitable. | BGNES