The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the archaeological city of Marina El Alamein on the northwestern coast has made a new discovery, uncovering 18 ancient tombs, as well as a number of surface burials, coffins and artifacts, during excavations at the site.
The mission also uncovered remains of the ancient city's extensions and architectural components, bringing the total number of tombs discovered in the area since the site's discovery in 1986 to 44, reinforcing the site's importance as one of the most prominent ancient coastal cities on the Mediterranean.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said the discovery is an important scientific and archaeological addition that helps understand the cultural identity of the inhabitants of ancient Marina El Alamein and reassess its historical role as a civilizational and cultural center linking Egypt and the Mediterranean world. He stressed that the ministry pays great attention to scientific excavations at the site ahead of opening it to visitors, adding a new cultural tourism product alongside the beach tourism the North Coast is known for.
For his part, Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the site development project includes a visitor center, electric vehicle and pedestrian paths, a museum storehouse, an administrative building and an open-air theater, with development work expected to be completed in the first half of next year, making Marina El Alamein an integrated tourist and archaeological destination.
Mohamed Abdel Badie, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that the discovered tombs include 11 tombs carved entirely into the rock (hypogea) with an average depth of 8 meters, as well as 7 surface tombs built of limestone. Some of the tombs are exceptionally well preserved, with burial niches sealed with stone slabs that have not been opened since antiquity.
The excavations also revealed many surface burials around the tombs, reflecting the social diversity of the city's inhabitants, as well as a water well reused for burial purposes in a later period, a clear example of the continuing influence of ancient Egyptian funerary architecture during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
The excavations also yielded a distinctive collection of artifacts, including complete and near-complete pottery vessels, amphorae, oil lamps, plates, and limestone altars and basins, as well as a number of architectural elements associated with the tombs.
Dr. Hisham Hussein, Head of the Central Department of Lower Egypt Antiquities, said the most notable finds include a limestone offering altar with a distinctive architectural facade imitating the "false door" known in ancient Egyptian funerary belief, as well as an unfinished marble statue likely representing the goddess Aphrodite, a limestone stela of a seated man holding a bird and a number of glass tear bottles.
In the same context, Dr. Iman Abdel Khalek, head of the mission and director of the area, said a 2.5-meter granite sarcophagus was uncovered with its original lid still in place, containing skeletal remains currently under study. Next to it were found the remains of a plaster sphinx statue, confirming the continuation of Egyptian religious and artistic influences in the city during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
She added that among the most notable finds were 24 gold pieces placed in the mouths of some of the deceased, known as golden tongues, one of the elements associated with funerary beliefs of that period, including a gold piece in the shape of the Eye of Horus, one of the most important protective symbols in ancient Egyptian belief.
The archaeological city of Marina El Alamein lies on Egypt's northwestern coast, around 100 km west of Alexandria, and is thought to be the city of Leukaspis mentioned by the Greek geographer Strabo. The city flourished from the Hellenistic period to the Byzantine period, reaching the height of its urban and economic activity during the first three centuries AD.
The site was discovered in 1986 during construction work in the Marina area, and since then extensive excavations and archaeological studies have revealed one of the best-preserved ancient coastal cities in Egypt, with a street network, houses, public buildings, a port and commercial areas, as well as extensive necropolises reflecting the civilizational and cultural diversity that characterized the cities of Egypt's coast during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
The discovery is a new step toward completing the understanding of the city's history and strengthening its position as one of the most important archaeological and cultural destinations on the North Coast, as part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' efforts to preserve Egypt's heritage and make it accessible to visitors.
