{"id":1479,"date":"2026-07-05T19:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T19:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1479"},"modified":"2026-07-05T19:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T19:09:12","slug":"egypt-uncovers-lost-byzantine-era-city-in-the-western-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1479","title":{"rendered":"Egypt uncovers lost Byzantine-era city in the western desert"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CAIRO (AP) \u2014 A well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city in the western desert is one of two major archaeological<\/span> finds announced by Egypt<\/span> on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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The recent discoveries at the Dakhla Oasis<\/span> and at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, near Alexandria, are the latest findings<\/span> which the Egyptian government hopes will boost the country\u2019s vital tourism sector, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Along with the strategic Suez Canal, tourism is a major source of foreign currency in the cash-strapped country. <\/p>\n

The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said that the first discovery reveals details of daily life, urban development and economic activities in the Dakhla Oasis in the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine empire.<\/p>\n

The unearthed quarters included north-south thoroughfares intersected by east-west streets, forming open squares and public spaces, said Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities.<\/p>\n

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A basilica church dating back to the mid-fourth century stands at the settlement\u2019s head, overlooking its main streets, along with remains of two watchtowers to safeguard the outskirts, said Mahmoud Massoud, who chairs the archaeological mission.<\/p>\n

The oasis, located in Egypt\u2019s western province of New Valley in the western desert, is on UNESCO<\/span> \u2019s Tentative List, a step away from being added to the agency\u2019s World Heritage List.<\/p>\n

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A heavily fortified structure with thick defensive walls, and many houses consisting of reception halls and vaulted roofs were found in the area, Massoud said.<\/p>\n

Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon and dating to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city\u2019s basilica.<\/p>\n

Archaeologists also uncovered bread ovens, kitchens and stone grinding tools that had been apparently used to produce food. Also found were well-preserved bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions and Christian symbols, alongside a group of gold coins dating to the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II, who ruled between 337 and 361, the ministry statement said.<\/p>\n

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Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities department, said they found a collection of about 200 pottery fragments which would have been used as writing material. The fragments, known as octraca, have inscriptions detailing commercial transactions, correspondence and other details of daily life, Zahran said.<\/p>\n

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