Egypt announces major discoveries: Entire Byzantine city and 18 ancient tombs found

Egypt has announced two significant archaeological finds, including a remarkably preserved Byzantine-era city in the Dakhla Oasis and 18 ancient tombs discovered near Alexandria. These latest discoveries are part of a broader government effort to revitalize the country's crucial tourism industry, a major source of foreign currency.

The Byzantine city, dating back to the 4th century when Egypt was part of the Byzantine Empire, provides an extraordinary glimpse into daily life, urban planning, and economic activities of the period. Excavations revealed a systematically planned settlement with main north-south streets intersecting east-west thoroughfares, creating public squares. A 4th-century basilica stands at the settlement's head, overlooking the main streets, accompanied by remnants of two watchtowers.

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The first discovery in the Dakhla Oasis provides an extraordinary insight into daily life, urban development, and economic activities during the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine Empire.

Located in Egypt's Western Desert, the Dakhla Oasis site, already on UNESCO's tentative list for World Heritage status, also features a heavily fortified structure with thick defensive walls. Numerous houses, characterized by reception halls and vaulted roofs, showcase the advanced architecture of the era. Notably, the house of a deacon named Tisous, believed to have served as a domestic church before the main basilica's construction, was identified.

Evidence of daily life, such as bread ovens, kitchens, and stone grinding tools, has been unearthed, offering insights into food production for the inhabitants. The discoveries also include well-preserved bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors and a group of gold coins from the reign of Roman Emperor Constantius II (337-361 AD). Additionally, nearly 200 ceramic fragments, known as ostraca, inscribed in Coptic and Greek, detail trade transactions and daily correspondence, providing valuable dating information and economic context.

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The excavations revealed a systematically planned settlement with main north-south streets intersecting east-west thoroughfares, creating open squares and public spaces.