Treasures Resurface from Egypt’s Sunken City of Canopus in Abu Qir Bay!
For the first time in a generation, the ancient city of Canopus has revealed new secrets from beneath the waves. Over the past 25 years, three extraordinary monuments have been raised from the seabed off Abu Qir, reigniting worldwide fascination with the once-flourishing Nile Delta port that sank more than a thousand years ago.
The recent recovery took place during Egypt’s Underwater Cultural Heritage operations, attended by senior officials, diplomats, and naval commanders, underscoring the cultural weight of the find.
Photo Credit: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Among the treasures brought ashore was a colossal quartz sphinx inscribed with the cartouche of Ramesses II, a reminder of Canopus’s deep links to Egypt’s most powerful dynasties. Alongside it came a granite statue from the late Ptolemaic period and a white marble likeness of a Roman nobleman, both speaking to the city’s cosmopolitan character.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, praised the collaboration between archaeologists and Egypt’s naval forces, stressing that protecting cultural heritage is vital to preserving the nation’s civilisational identity.
Long before Alexandria rose to prominence in the 4th century BCE, Canopus was already a vibrant hub of commerce and worship. Pilgrims travelled to its temples of Osiris and Serapis to take part in the Mysteries of Osiris, a festival re-enacting the god’s death and resurrection.
But nature was unrelenting. Earthquakes, shifting ground, and rising sea levels eventually dragged the city beneath the waters of Abu Qir Bay, where its ruins still rest today, partly overlain by the modern town.
Speaking at the event, Major General Ahmed Khaled Hassan Said highlighted that the discoveries are not simply about unearthing rare statues, but about reviving a living chapter of Egypt’s past.
Photo Credit: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Excavations in Abu Qir Bay have been ongoing for decades, most notably led by French archaeologist Franck Goddio in partnership with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Their work has uncovered temples, harbours, and colossal statues, piecing together a picture of Canopus as a thriving ancient city.
Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasised that this marks Egypt’s first major underwater discovery since ratifying UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in 2001. He described Abu Qir as “a living witness to the greatness of Egypt’s history and civilisation,” noting that further announcements are expected, including the excavation of a shipwreck laden with trade goods.
Surveys of the area have revealed the remains of an entire Roman-era city: temples, cisterns, quays, fish tanks, and even a vast 125-metre harbour. Finds include amphorae stamped with seals and coins spanning Egyptian, Ptolemaic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic eras, highlighting the site’s long cultural continuity.
While many artefacts are being conserved underwater to protect them, Egypt has plans to further develop Abu Qir Bay as both a research hub and a heritage tourism destination. These latest discoveries are not just spectacular finds, they are stepping stones in reconnecting modern Egypt with one of its most fascinating lost cities.