Hundreds of sunken monuments, discovered
Egypt, Culture, 6/5/2000

The European Institute for Sunken Antiquities' mission working in Abu Qir, Alexandria managed to detect and spot the course of the Nile's most important branches that sank hundreds of years ago.

The Canubian branch of the Nile, attributed to the ancient port city of Canub, now Abu Qir, had been submerged in the wake of the violent temblor that rocked Alexandria long times ago.

In an international news conference held early Saturday in Alexandria, Franc Godeo, head of the mission, said the Egyptian-French Mission for Sunken Antiquities used satellite survey and detection equipment and depth scanning instruments in spotting the areas where the monuments are perching.

"The mission also discovered Herculum, the ancient Greek town where the Greek god Hercules was adored," said Godeo. The mission bumped into huge buildings and statues depicting kings in their regal Pharaonic attires. Some of these statues are about 4 meter-high. They found part of the room dedicated to preserve the gods' statues in Isis Temple in a good condition, thus completing the whole room of which parts were previously uncovered.

Archaeologists also bumped into hundreds of granite columns, gods' heads and sphinxes. The mission completed the discovery previously made by Prince Omar Tosson in 1934 when he revealed the ancient city of Mintos that together with Herculum constitutes Abu Qir now. The mission removed a one meter-thick layer of sands to reach remains of the ancient city. The most important excavations were two stones inscribed with Hieroglyphic writings dating back to the Pharaonic 26th and 30th dynasties. They are part of the statues' rooms of Isis Temple.

The two blocs depict the mechanism of celestial bodies. The archaeologists have also found hundreds of gold coins and pieces dating back to the Byzantine and Islamic eras. "The discovery mark a step on the way to unravel the ancient Egyptian civilization drowned in the Mediterranean Sea," said Godeo.

Following the conference, Godeo, Alexandria Governor Mohammad Abdelssalam Mahgoub, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Gaballah Ali Gaballah and First Undersecretary of Culture Mohammad Ghoneim attended opening of an exhibition showcasing the extracted pieces.

Previous Stories:
  Holy Family route, opened in Egypt   (6/3/2000)
  Ancient Greek city discovered under Alexandria waters   (6/3/2000)
  Ebeid inaugurates Virgin Mary's Tree development project   (6/1/2000)

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