Egypt’s ancient tombs, dating back nearly 2,000 years, have been uncovered at Marina El-Alamein, about 100 kilometres west of Alexandria, the tourism and antiquities ministry said Saturday.
The ministry said Egyptian archaeologists found 18 Greco-Roman tombs at the Mediterranean coastal site. Several burial chambers still had their original stone blocking slabs in place.
Archaeologists also found a granite sarcophagus measuring about 2.5 metres with its lid intact. The ministry said the condition of the graves suggested they had remained sealed for nearly two millennia.
The tombs contained human remains, pottery, amphorae and other funerary objects. Archaeologists also found 24 gold objects placed inside the mouths of several individuals, a practice linked to afterlife beliefs.
The ministry said the site likely corresponds to Leukaspis, an ancient Mediterranean port that flourished between the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods.
The latest discovery raises the number of known tombs at Marina El-Alamein to 44. The site was first identified in 1986 during construction work, according to the ministry.
Separately, the ministry said Friday that archaeologists uncovered a Byzantine-era settlement at Ain al-Sabil in the Dakhla Oasis. The mudbrick site dates to around the 4th century AD.
The settlement includes a planned street grid, public squares, homes, a basilica-style church and defensive structures. Archaeologists also found about 200 ostraca written in Coptic and Greek, along with bronze and gold coins linked to Roman emperor Constantius II.
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Egypt regularly highlights archaeological discoveries as part of efforts to promote tourism, a key source of foreign currency alongside Suez Canal revenues and remittances.
