Egypt uncovers lost Byzantine-era city in the western desert

Key Points:

• Egypt announced two major archaeological discoveries: a well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city in the Dakhla Oasis and 18 ancient tombs at the Marina el-Alamein site near Alexandria, both expected to boost tourism.
• The Dakhla Oasis settlement, dating to the 4th century Byzantine period, revealed urban planning, a basilica church, watchtowers, houses with vaulted roofs, bread ovens, and inscriptions on pottery fragments detailing daily life and commerce.
• At Marina el-Alamein, archaeologists uncovered 11 rock-cut tombs and 7 limestone-built tombs, along with artifacts such as pottery, a granite sarcophagus, a plaster sphinx statue, and gold pieces placed in the mouths of the deceased, reflecting Greco-Roman funerary customs.
• The Marina el-Alamein site is believed to be the ancient port city of Leukaspis, which flourished from the 2nd to 4th centuries before being devastated by a tsunami, highlighting the region's historical significance in trade.
• Egypt's tourism sector is recovering strongly, with a record 19 million visitors in 2025 and continued growth in early 2026, making antiquities a vital component of the country's foreign currency earnings.