Alexandria

The legendary sunken parts of the ancient city of Alexandria, lost for over 1,600 years, have been discovered through the archaeological work of underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team in 1992. After extensive research, detailed topographical surveys with the use of sophisticated electronic equipment, and careful excavations in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbour, Franck Goddio presented the unique discoveries for the first time to the public in 1996.

In this section, the achievements of many years of archaeological research work, including discovery of the submerged royal quarters of Antirhodos Island, where Cleopatra VII had a palace.

What happened?

For centuries, archaeologists tried to discover this legendary city, known to have been the stage setting for the dramas between Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony und Octavius. But the royal city of the last Egyptian Dynasty (Ptolemaic Dynasty), where Cleopatra VII, the last queen of ancient Egypt, ruled and died, was lost in a series of natural catastrophes - until Franck Goddio brought these myths to reality.

When in time?

Alexandria was founded in 331 B.C. by Alexander the Great. After the last Egyptian queen, Cleopatra VII, took her own life in 30 B.C., Egypt became nothing more than a Roman province. The royal quarters sank beneath the sea after a series of earthquakes and tidal waves. They had led to gradual subsidence in the 4th century A.D.

Where did it happen?

Alexandria was considered to be Egypt’s most important trading metropolis on the Mediterranean in Ptolemaic times. With a population of 500,000 and regarded as a cultural and scientific center, Alexandria was noted for its commerce and wealth. The city, with its world-renowned library containing 700,000 systematically archived scrolls, attracted many scholars in these times.