California hosts exhibition of sunken Egyptian artifacts

CAIRO - 2 October 2019: An exhibition of sunken Egyptian antiquities dating back to different historical periods will launch in California on October 5.

Before leaving Cairo for the United States to launch the exhibition, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri told the press that the exhibition will be held under the title "Sunken Cities: The Enchanting World of Egypt" and will include 293 artifacts.

Waziri further clarified that the exhibition will be held in California as part of its tour in a number of American cities, St. Louis being the first.

It is noteworthy that there is a large number of sunken Egyptian artifacts dating back to distinguish eras, including a site of sunken monuments in Aswan, Abu Qir Port, on the site of Qaitbay castle, Maamora Gulf, and the location of Khufu port in Al-Jurf Valley among other locations.

Sunken Egyptian treasures - Press photo
Due to the availability of a wide variety of sunken Egyptian Antiquities, the Ministry of Antiquities has established a special department called the Department of Submerged Antiquities.

The role of the Department of Submerged Antiquities is limited to taking care of the artifacts and monuments under the seas, lakes and the Nile. Such artifacts could have possibly sunk with a ship or were located in collapsed buildings, among other possible reasons.

According to the Ministry of Antiquities, the department was created in the Supreme Council of Antiquities after important discoveries were made in the Mediterranean waters in Alexandria in 1995 and 1996, when the remains of Alexandria Lighthouse were discovered next to Qaitbay Castle and the Royal Quarter under the waters of the Eastern Harbor.