Egypt uncovers lost Byzantine-era city in the western desert
CAIRO (AP) — A well-preserved Byzantine settlement in the western desert is one of two major cities. archaeological Findings announced by Sweetcorn on Saturday.
latest discoveries Dakhla Oasis and the latest at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site near Alexandria findings The Egyptian government hopes this will at least partially boost the country’s vital tourism sector. antique trip.
Alongside the strategic Suez Canal, tourism represents an important source of foreign currency in the cash-strapped country.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the first discovery revealed details of daily life, urban development and economic activities in the Dakhla Oasis in the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine Empire.
Hisham el-Leithy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the unearthed neighborhoods include north-south streets intersecting with east-west streets, creating open squares and public spaces.
Mahmoud Massoud, who headed the archaeological mission, said that at the beginning of the settlement, the remains of a basilica church overlooking the main streets dating back to the mid-fourth century were found, as well as the remains of two watchtowers guarding the outskirts.
Located in the New Valley province in Egypt’s western desert, the oasis is on UNESCO’s Tentative List and is one step away from being added to the agency’s World Heritage List.
Massoud said that there are many houses in the area with thick defensive walls, highly fortified structures, reception halls and vaulted roofs.
Among these was the house of Tisous, identified as a church priest and dated to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a church house before the city’s basilica was built.
Archaeologists also unearthed bread ovens, kitchens, and stone grinding tools that appeared to have been used to produce food. The ministry’s statement also included well-preserved bronze coins with portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions and Christian symbols, as well as Roman emperor John II, who reigned between 337 and 361. It was stated that a group of gold coins dating to the reign of Constantius was also found.
Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities department, said they found a collection of approximately 200 pottery pieces to be used as writing materials. The pieces, known as octraca, contain inscriptions detailing business transactions, correspondence and other details of daily life, Zahran said.
Separately, archaeologists found 18 ancient tombs at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
The ministry said the findings included 11 rock tombs with an average depth of 8 meters and seven surface graves made of limestone. This brings the total number of graves found in the area to 48, the ministry said.
Archaeologists said they found pottery vessels, amphorae, lamps, plates, altars and limestone pools in the region.
Mission chief Eman Abdel-Khaliq said they found a 2.5-meter-long granite sarcophagus and the skeletal remains are currently being studied. He said they found the remains of a plaster sphinx statue near the sarcophagus.
Abdel-Khaliq said they also found four pieces of gold, known as “golden tongues”, placed in the mouths of some of the dead, a practice associated with funerary beliefs of the time.
Marina el-Alamein is an archaeological site close to the city of Alamein on Egypt’s North Coast. Uncovered in 1986, archaeologists believe it was the ancient Greek-Roman port city of Leukaspis on the Mediterranean, which was built in the second denture and existed until the fourth century, the ministry said.
Egypt tourism has begun to recover after years of political turmoil and violence following the 2011 uprising as well as the coronavirus pandemic.
According to official figures, 19 million tourists visited Egypt last year, an increase of 21% compared to 2024. The figures showed that 6.1 million tourists arrived in the first four months of 2026, compared to 5.7 million in the same period of 2025.
