2,000-year-old treasure pulled from underwater off Egypt coast
A remarkable collection of treasures from a 2,000-year-old underwater city has been recovered from the depths of the sea off the coast of Egypt, much to the excitement of enthusiasts of art and history.
The ancient artifacts, which include statues of a sphinx and a pharaoh, were raised by crane from the shallow waters of Abu Qir Bay, as confirmed by Egyptian officials.
According to Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, Sherif Fathi, “There’s a lot underwater, but what we’re able to bring up is limited. It’s only specific material according to strict criteria. The rest will remain part of our sunken heritage.”
The recovered treasures also consist of a marble likeness of a nobleman and a granite figure from the Ptolemaic era, shedding light on the rich history of the sunken city of Canopus.
During the Ptolemaic dynasty and the Roman empire’s reign, Canopus was a thriving center of culture and civilization. Over time, the city was engulfed by the Mediterranean Sea due to earthquakes and rising sea levels.
In 2001, Egypt entered into a UNESCO agreement that regulates the retrieval of submerged artifacts, ensuring the preservation of this valuable heritage.
While the exact value of these artifacts and their future display location remain unknown, the significance of this discovery in unraveling the mysteries of ancient Egypt cannot be understated.
