The landmark archaeological event was witnessed by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, Alexandria Governor Ahmed Khaled Hassan Said, the Commander of the Naval Forces, the Commander of the Northern Military Region, senior officials, diplomats, and international media.
The artefacts include a massive quartzite sphinx bearing the cartouche of Ramses II, a granite colossus of an unidentified man from the late Ptolemaic era, and a white marble statue of a Roman nobleman.
Minister Fathy hailed the operation as a “remarkable milestone” in Egypt’s efforts to safeguard its unique cultural heritage.
He thanked the Armed Forces, Naval Forces, and the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces for their support, stressing that the discovery reaffirms Egypt’s commitment to UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.
“Some treasures will remain preserved underwater due to their historical context, while others are retrieved under rigorous scientific standards,” Fathy said.
He added that the recovery sends a powerful message about Egypt’s ability to protect its heritage and strengthen its global tourism profile, noting that the country welcomed 15.8 million tourists last year.
For his part, Governor Said described the discovery as both an archaeological breakthrough and “a true revival of part of our great history,” linking it to Alexandria’s wider development projects, including the Abu Qir Port and Alexandria Metro.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), emphasized Abu Qir’s extraordinary archaeological significance, calling the site a “living witness” to Egypt’s long history.
He noted that the recovery follows decades of underwater survey work and comes a quarter century after the last similar operation in Egypt.
Excavations at Abu Qir have uncovered the remains of a submerged Roman-era city, complete with temples, water cisterns, fish tanks, and ancient quays — likely an extension of the famed city of Canopus.
Earlier surveys unearthed amphorae stamped with trademarks, shipwrecks carrying goods, royal statues, sphinxes, ushabti figurines, stone anchors, and coins spanning the Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods.
The Abu Qir site, long cloaked in mystery, continues to reveal treasures shedding light on what scholars call “sunken Egypt.”
Senior underwater archaeologist Mohamed Mustafa revealed that further finds are expected, including a remarkably preserved ancient ship currently under study.
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