Visitors to the Alexandria National Museum in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria flocked to catch a glimpse of the “Secrets of the Sunken City” exhibition that was inaugurated by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy and Alexandria Governor Ahmed Khaled Hassan Said as part of the ministry’s Sunken Cultural Heritage Festival this week.
The exhibition, which runs for six months, brings together 86 artefacts that have been brought to the surface from the submerged ancient cities of Canopus and Heracleion in Abu Qir Bay west of Alexandria. From religious statues and ritual objects to everyday items, it offers rare glimpses of daily life, burial customs, religious practices, and military life during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras in Egypt.
Among the objects on display are statues of kings, priests, and deities, royal heads, and an offering table, as well as collections of jewellery, weapons, military attire, pottery vessels, and silver coins. One of the most significant pieces is a lead pendant depicting the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, underscoring the enduring importance of this edifice.
“All these artefacts are on show for the first time in Egypt since their discovery in 2000 and 2001,” said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), noting that many of them have been on temporary display abroad but not in Egypt.
“Alexandria is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its unique blend of history and modernity,” said Fathy during the opening ceremony of the exhibition. “This exhibition is the fruit of valuable collaboration between the SCA and international archaeological missions, and it reflects the breadth and antiquity of Egypt’s heritage that continues to astonish the world.”
Alongside the exhibition, the minister and governor inaugurated the museum’s new research library, which houses a specialised collection of books and articles on underwater archaeology and more than 1,100 volumes spanning Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, and modern history, as well as conservation sciences and cultural studies.
The library is equipped with accessibility features for the visually impaired, underscoring a commitment to inclusivity.
Looking ahead, the minister announced that Alexandria would in future be further integrated into national tourism programmes in coordination with tour operators, connecting the city’s heritage sites with the increasingly popular North Coast.
Governor Said hailed the exhibition as “a cultural milestone that reaffirms Alexandria’s historical role as a bridge between East and West and as a capital of culture and dialogue on the Mediterranean,” praising the efforts of the archaeologists and researchers who have uncovered the city’s underwater secrets.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: