Archaeologists working off the coast of Alexandria have uncovered remarkable remains of a 2,000-year-old sunken city, bringing to light temples, residential buildings, a dock, and the wreck of a merchant ship.

The site, located in Abu Qir Bay, is believed to be part of the ancient city of Canopus, a Ptolemaic and Roman port long submerged beneath the Mediterranean.

Among the artifacts retrieved are a quartz sphinx bearing the cartouche of Pharaoh Ramses II, a granite Ptolemaic statue missing its head, and a marble bust of a Roman nobleman.

Divers also identified a 125-metre harbour dock, stone anchors, and other port structures, confirming the city’s role as a vital hub of trade and culture.

Egyptian authorities stressed that only selected items are being brought to the surface under UNESCO’s underwater heritage protections, with the majority of ruins left in situ for preservation.

The recovered pieces are undergoing conservation and will be displayed at the Alexandria National Museum in an exhibition titled “Secrets of the Sunken City”.

Officials are also considering the creation of an underwater museum to showcase the submerged heritage of the region.

The discovery highlights the fragile state of Alexandria’s coastline, where rising seas and land subsidence threaten to engulf parts of the modern city.

Archaeologists say the finds not only illuminate Egypt’s ancient history but also underscore the urgent need to safeguard cultural treasures in the face of climate change.