Egypt: Parts of Sunken City Recovered from Depths

Parts of buildings, artefacts and a port dating back over 2,000 years have been uncovered outside Alexandria in Egypt, where a sunken city of ruins has been discovered.

Egyptian authorities believe that the city in Akubir Bay, where the Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea, is part of the ancient city of Kanopus.

The city was an important centre during the Ptolemaic dynasty and the Roman Empire. Earthquakes and rising sea levels caused the city and the nearby port city of Heraklion to sink into the sea.

On Thursday, statues and other objects were slowly raised from the depths, with jubilant divers watching.

– One can wonder about a lot under the water, but what we can salvage is limited; it is only specific material according to strict criteria, said Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi.

– The rest will remain as a “sunken heritage”, he added.

In addition to parts of buildings, reservoirs and ponds for fish farming, images of royalty and parts of a sphinx have been hidden in the depths. An associated harbour with merchant ships, stone anchors and a harbour crane was used during the Byzantine Empire, according to the department.

^{Cover photo: Photo: Amr Nabil/AP/TT, Statues from a sunken city have been lifted out of the sea with the help of divers and cranes off the coast of Alexandria in Egypt.}