Egyptian archaeologists recently uncovered a hidden harbor at an ancient temple connected to Cleopatra VII – an unexpected find for historians.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of the harbor on Sept. 18. It was found at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, about 30 miles west of Alexandria.
The temple, built in the Ptolemaic era, was dedicated to Osiris, the Egyptian god of the afterlife.
Though the temple from the 3rd century B.C. was constructed two centuries before Cleopatra ruled, it was still in use by the time she took power.
Cleopatra, who was respected in Egypt but vilified in Roman accounts, promoted the cult of Isis and Osiris, and artifacts from her rule have been found at the site.
Archaeologists in Egypt used survey data to reveal a submerged harbor connected to Cleopatra’s temple at Taposiris Magna. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Officials say the harbor was connected to the temple and directly linked to the Mediterranean Sea. The harbor was protected by coral reefs, archaeologists found.
"Archaeologists also found stone and metal anchors of various sizes, along with large numbers of amphorae dating back to the Ptolemaic period," the statement, translated from Arabic to English, added.
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"Research further showed that the ancient shoreline lies about 4 kilometers from today’s coast."
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, called the harbor a "significant scientific contribution to Egyptian maritime archaeology, especially since no ancient sources had previously mentioned it."
The submerged harbor at Taposiris Magna was protected by coral reefs, archaeologists from Egypt confirmed. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
"The findings not only enhance our understanding of the economic and religious structures of that era, but also confirm Egypt’s status as a global center of maritime activity for thousands of years," he said.
The discovery came a year after a similar excavation at the site yielded foundation deposits and a variety of artifacts, including funerary and ritual objects.
Bathymetric scans show outlines of the submerged harbor at Taposiris Magna, once connected to Cleopatra’s temple. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Last year, archaeologists found 337 coins – many containing a Cleopatra image – along with oil lamps, an amulet, and vessels for storing food and cosmetics.
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"The discoveries indicated that the temple walls were constructed in the 1st century B.C., with remains of an earlier Greek temple from the 4th century B.C. that was destroyed between the 2nd century B.C. and the beginning of the Roman era," the ministry noted.
Excavations at Taposiris Magna, seen here, have uncovered artifacts dating to Cleopatra's rule, including coins and ceremonial objects. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
The discovery of the harbor is one of many recent archaeological finds across Egypt.
At a site called Tell el-Fara’in, archaeologists recently found multistory buildings from a lost Egyptian city.
In August, archaeologists found two churches and a mural of Jesus at Kharga Oasis, an ancient settlement roughly 350 miles southwest of Cairo.