Wreck of 2,000-year-old leisure ship discovered off Alexandria’s coast

Dubai: Marine archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a 2,000-year-old Egyptian leisure ship beneath the waters off Alexandria, in a rare find offering new insight into life in Roman-era Egypt.

According to the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, divers located the vessel’s remains in the submerged harbour of Antirhodos Island. The ship, more than 35 metres long and about seven metres wide, was found lying on the seabed along with artefacts and inscriptions.

The institute said archaeologists identified Greek writings on board that may date to the first half of the first century AD, reinforcing the likelihood that the vessel was built in Alexandria. Early assessments suggest the ship featured a richly decorated cabin and was propelled entirely by oars.

Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, has long been shaped by seismic activity. A series of earthquakes and tsunamis caused parts of its ancient shoreline, including Antirhodos Island, to sink. The island’s remains were rediscovered in 1996, and over the years divers have recovered statues, coins and other treasures, many of which are displayed in the city’s Graeco-Roman Museum.

Franck Goddio, director of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, recently published new findings on Antirhodos and its Temple of Isis, drawing on underwater expeditions conducted since the 1990s.

The institute said further research on the newly discovered wreck “promises an exciting journey into the daily life, religion, wealth and waterways of ancient Roman Egypt”.

Despite its rich archaeological heritage, modern Alexandria remains vulnerable to climate change. Rising sea levels are already inundating the city at a rate of more than three millimetres per year. The United Nations warns that, even under the best-case scenario, up to one third of Alexandria could be submerged or uninhabitable by 2050.