A collaborative team from the European Institute of Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) has brought to light a sunken temple dedicated to Amun and a nearby temple honoring Aphrodite, both buried beneath layers of sea and time along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. The discovery was reported by Live Science and highlights a remarkable moment in underwater archaeology.
The exploration began along a canal feeding into the Mediterranean near the coast of Egypt. The team identified the temple dedicated to Amun, an enduring figure in the Egyptian pantheon who was revered as a source of divine authority. The structure likely originated during the period when port cities linked the Nile delta to broader maritime routes, though exact dating places its origins before widespread imperial consolidation. Records suggest the temple served as a focal point for pharaonic legitimacy, with rulers seeking signs of divine endorsement from the supreme god, a practice that anchored political power in a sacred framework. Divers uncovered a collection of ritual silver tools, gold jewelry, and alabaster containers that would have held perfumes or ointments, all preserved by the surrounding waters and the sediment that settled over centuries.
East of the Amun temple, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a Greek temple dedicated to Aphrodite. The site yielded a variety of artifacts, including imported bronze items and ceramic wares, as well as Greek weaponry. The assemblage points to a period when Greek traders and settlers moved into the area, signaling a robust exchange network during the era of the Said dynasty, which spans roughly from 688 BCE to 525 BCE. The presence of Greek objects alongside Egyptian remains illustrates a cultural interchange that enriched the city and its harbor, suggesting that commerce and diplomacy helped shape daily life in this ancient port.
In broader context, the find contributes to an ongoing conversation about maritime hubs in the eastern Mediterranean where Egyptian authority intersected with Hellenic influence. The juxtaposition of an Amun temple with a Greek temple in close proximity underscores a landscape of religious and civic life that evolved through contact, conflict, and cooperation among diverse communities. Researchers believe these discoveries will offer new angles on how temple economies operated, what kinds of offerings were valued, and how sacred spaces were navigated by local populations, traders, and visiting sailors alike.
Scholars caution that much remains to be learned about the chronology and exact functions of these submerged structures. Ongoing work will aim to refine dating, map architectural features, and interpret the symbolism evident in ornamental motifs and ceremonial paraphernalia. The ongoing project also emphasizes the importance of underwater heritage conservation, ensuring that fragile artifacts can be studied while protecting the site from natural and human threats. By weaving together material culture from Amun and Aphrodite, researchers hope to illuminate a more nuanced story of Egypt’s Mediterranean connections during the late classical to early Hellenistic periods, a time when cities along the coast served as crossroads of religion, trade, and cultural exchange. [citation]
The discoveries serve as a reminder that underwater archaeology continues to reshape assumptions about ancient urban life, royal ritual, and the reach of ancient commerce. As academics, divers, and conservationists collaborate, these sunken halls offer a tangible link to a past where gods, merchants, and navigators shared a sea that bound a vast region together. The IEASM team’s work remains a vivid testament to humanity’s enduring curiosity and the will to recover echoes from shipwrecks, temples, and everyday life that once thrived along the shorelines of Egypt and beyond.