Unique underwater museum in Alexandria

Now that successive teams of French divers have explored the Mediterranean seabed in search of sunken antiquities, amateur divers will have the chance to see the Palace of Sighs that is said to have witnessed the embraces of Anthony and Cleopatra.

ÊÊÊ The opening of Alexandria's first diving center will give tourists the opportunity to survey the wondrous treasures that lie beneath the waves.

ÊÊÊ Underwater excavation began in l934, after a British Royal Air Force pilot noticed the wreck of a vessel in Abu Qir Bay from 3,000 feet. Volunteers led by Emir Omar Tusun attempted to bring the wreck to the surface.

ÊÊÊ In l962, several granite statues were found underwater near the Qaitbay Fortress on the East Harbor.

ÊÊÊ The fort is believed to be built on the site of the ancient Pharos, Alexandria's lighthouse and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

ÊÊÊ The Egyptian authorities informed UNESCO of the discovery and a submarine was dispatched in l965 to map the submerged antiquities.

ÊÊÊ More thorough underwater excavation have been ongoing since l992.

ÊÊÊ Diving center director, Ashraf Sabri said that after having trained 5,000 divers over eight years in Nice, he heard that Egypt's Mediterranean coast abounds in ancient treasures from some 35 submerged sites.

ÊÊÊ In one year, the center attracted more than a thousand tourists from the US, Belgium, Canada, Japan and France. Accompanied by professional tour divers, visitors can view the antiquities from a distance of five to ten meters.

ÊÊÊ The 45-minute underwater tour of the East Harbor includes Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, Graeco-Roman and Islamic artifacts.

ÊÊÊ But Cleopatra's Palace is hugely popular. The area around the East Harbor was a royal quarter in the Ptolemaic Era.