ANCIENT ARTEFACTS FROM LONG LOST SUNKEN CITY RECOVERED OFF OF EGYPTIAN COAST
Sunken treasure isn't just jewels; it can take many different forms. Reassembling history is equally important. Off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, Egyptian officials recently retrieved a treasure trove of antiques. The fragments, which include individual sculptures, building ruins, and the city's infrastructure, were from an ancient underwater metropolis known as Canopus.
Archaeologists removed the artefacts from an underwater location in Abu Qir Bay on August 21, 2025. After assisting with the artefacts' location, divers saw as a crane raised the items out of the ocean. During the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty and the Roman Empire, Canopus, a significant coastal city that served as a centre for trade, luxury, and religion, is thought to have included this submerged location.
A few of the newly found artefacts are at least 2,000 years old. A black granite statue of a Ptolemaic queen, a colossal, relatively undamaged quartz sphinx statue with cartouches of King Ramses II, and even rock-carved ponds that may have been used for fisheries or water storage are among the notable artefacts. The Secrets of the Sunken City exhibition at Alexandria National Museum currently features 86 of these artefacts.
The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) and Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, under the direction of French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio, have worked together for 30 years to achieve this remarkable recovery of Canopus' submerged relics. Sherif Fathi, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, clarified, "There is a lot underwater, but what we can bring out is limited; it's only certain material according to tight standards." The remainder will continue to be a part of our lost history.
Scientists think that Canopus' marine submersion was caused by a string of natural calamities. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and rising sea levels were and still are problems for the area. According to UN estimates, increasing sea levels will render at least one-third of Alexandria uninhabitable by 2050. Canopus's archaeological discoveries highlight how vulnerable Egyptian coastal cities are to natural calamities. These artefacts' reappearance after thousands of years serves as a reminder of the pressing environmental issues we currently face today, as well as a window into past civilisations.