Egyptian authorities announced two major archaeological discoveries on Saturday, including a well-preserved residential city dating back to the Byzantine era located in the western desert. The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry noted that the find offers significant insights into daily life, economic activities, and urban planning in the Dakhla Oasis during the fourth century.
Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities, described the unearthed quarters as featuring a network of north-south thoroughfares intersected by east-west streets, which created various public spaces and open squares. According to Mahmoud Massoud, head of the archaeological mission, the settlement is anchored by a mid-fourth-century basilica church overlooking the main streets, supported by two defensive watchtowers on the outskirts. The site also contains a heavily fortified structure with thick walls and numerous houses featuring vaulted roofs and reception halls, along with the strategic Suez Canal, tourism is a major source of foreign currency in the cash-strapped country.
Among the residential findings is the home of Tisous, a church deacon from the second half of the fourth century, which experts believe functioned as a house church prior to the construction of the main basilica. The team also recovered bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, gold coins from the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II—who ruled from 337 to 361—and various food-production tools like stone grinders, ovens, and kitchens. Additionally, Diaa Zahran of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities department reported the recovery of approximately 200 pottery fragments, or ostraca, containing inscriptions regarding commercial correspondence and daily life.
In a separate announcement, archaeologists revealed the discovery of 18 ancient tombs at the Marina el-Alamein site, located about 100 kilometers west of Alexandria. This find includes 11 rock-cut tombs at an average depth of 8 meters and seven surface-level limestone tombs, raising the site’s total discovered graves to 48. Recovered items at the location include amphorae, pottery vessels, lamps, plates, and limestone basins.
Mission chief Eman Abdel-Khaliq reported that the team found a 2.5-meter-long granite sarcophagus containing skeletal remains currently under study, situated near the remnants of a plaster sphinx statue. Notably, some of the deceased were found with four gold pieces placed inside their mouths, a funerary practice known as the “golden tongue.” Marina el-Alamein, first unearthed in 1986, is believed to be the ancient Greco-Roman port city of Leukaspis, which flourished between the second and fourth centuries.
These discoveries come as Egypt seeks to bolster its tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency. Official figures indicate a record 19 million tourists visited the country last year, marking a 21% increase over 2024. Data from the first four months of 2026 shows 6.1 million visitors, compared to 5.7 million during the same period in 2025.
