Remnants of 2,000-year-old sunken city lifted out of the sea off Alexandria

Egypt has unveiled parts of a sunken city submerged beneath waters off the coast of Alexandria, including buildings, artifacts, and an ancient dock that date back more than 2,000 years.

Egyptian authorities said the site, located in the waters of Abu Qir bay, may be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus, a prominent center during the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years, and the Roman empire, which governed for about 600 years.

Over time, earthquakes and rising sea levels submerged the city and the nearby port of Heracleion.

On Thursday, cranes slowly hoisted statues from the depths while divers in wetsuits, who had helped retrieve them, cheered from the shore.

Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, Sherif Fathi, said, “There’s a lot underwater, but what we’re able to bring up is limited; it’s only specific material according to strict criteria.

“The rest will remain part of our sunken heritage.”