Protecting Alexandria’s Underwater Treasures: Combating Looting and Preserving Egypt’s Rich History

Watan–The incident of the theft of Egyptian antiquities from the seabed in Abu Qir Bay in Alexandria has raised many questions about the protection of submerged antiquities, which were discovered in the depths of some of the city’s shores, as well as the efforts to salvage them after repeated looting incidents in recent years, alongside the threat of erosion and destruction due to pollution.

In this context, a number of archaeologists and intellectuals have called for preserving submerged cultural heritage by reviving the idea of establishing a museum for underwater antiquities to display the items found beneath the sea, at their original locations, in order to attract local tourists and international visitors.

Alexandria is home to five underwater archaeological sites on the city’s beaches, still an undiscovered treasure in their full detail in the eastern port, Qaitbay Castle, Shatby, Montazah, and finally, Abu Qir Bay. These sites contain a collection of statues, columns, parts of temples and palaces, and other rare archaeological treasures, representing important historical and archaeological cities and neighborhoods spanning different historical periods.

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior’s security apparatus managed to apprehend two individuals in possession of 448 various antiquities, including: 53 statues with different inscriptions, three heads of statues, 12 spears with human heads, 14 bronze cups, 41 axes with inscriptions, 20 bronze pieces, and 305 coins.

This theft incident is not the only one of its kind. In recent years, several incidents of looting submerged artifacts have been discovered, carried out by some fishermen and members of specialized gangs, as MP Mahmoud Essam mentioned in a request addressed to the Prime Minister and Ministers of Tourism, Antiquities, Local Development, and Water Resources, urging immediate actions to protect submerged antiquities in the Mediterranean Sea.

MP Mahmoud Essam highlighted the serious threats these antiquities face, including illegal looting and theft. These treasures are being extracted and sold, putting Egypt’s cultural heritage at great risk. He emphasized that these artifacts contain rare treasures, such as Cleopatra’s palace and the ancient Alexandria Lighthouse, which are significant for understanding the ancient civilizations that passed through Egypt and represent a unique historical and cultural wealth dating back to the Pharaonic and Ptolemaic periods.

He stressed the need to revive the project of establishing a museum for submerged antiquities, first proposed in 1997, with an estimated cost of over $250 million, but delayed due to economic and political crises. He clarified that this museum would serve as a platform for collecting, restoring, and displaying submerged artifacts, enhancing Alexandria’s position as a global tourist destination for history and culture enthusiasts.

Imad Khalil, Director of the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage at Alexandria University and UNESCO Chair Professor for Underwater Cultural Heritage, stated on Facebook that the Ministry of Interior’s announcement of the crime arrests raises several questions about their execution. He stressed the need for decisive measures to counteract all artifact smuggling networks and the use of modern technologies and sensors at underwater archaeological sites to detect looting operations or attempts to cover up important archaeological sites with sand. He pointed out that the bronze pieces found by the security forces could not have been at the sea bed, as they must have been beneath the sediment, and finding them in their presented condition would require excavation and the use of sand extraction equipment, a process that would take months of organized underwater work by specialists.

Mohamed Mostafa, a professor of underwater archaeology at Alexandria University, commented, “The city hosts one of the richest underwater archaeological sites in the world. Since the discovery of the first sites in the 1950s, thousands of artifacts have been found, offering a stunning picture of ancient Egyptian life, but it remains a treasure that has not yet been fully uncovered.” He explained that the stories of submerged antiquities go back to ancient times, when large parts of the city were submerged due to recurring earthquakes and land collapses between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD. “We aspire to fulfill promises made for decades to create a water museum that allows visitors to see these treasures underwater, combining natural beauty and cultural heritage, which will put Alexandria on the global tourist map.”

In turn, submerged antiquities expert Ibrahim Darwish warns that many artifacts face the risk of continuous erosion, not just from looting operations but also due to the lack of proper protection standards, which require sustainable financial and technical support to preserve these treasures. He explained that despite the great significance of these artifacts, their preservation faces many challenges, after being subjected to damage and obscuring from marine currents and environmental changes, including water pollution, beach erosion, and human activities such as urban expansion and overfishing, which threaten archaeological sites.

Abdel Hamid Abdel Majid, acting director of the Department of Underwater Antiquities, emphasized that submerged heritage is an important part of the city’s history.