Alongside the strategic Suez Canal, tourism is one of Egypt’s main sources of income, in a country struggling with a severe economic crisis. Now, a city from the Byzantine period has been uncovered in Egypt’s Western Desert, an arid region that forms part of the Sahara and stretches across roughly 680,000 square kilometers, about two-thirds of the country’s territory.
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the discovery reveals new details about daily life, urban development and economic activity in the Dakhla Oasis, one of the seven oases of the Western Desert, in the fourth century AD, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine Empire.
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Some of the rock-cut tombs discovered at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, west of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria
(Photo: Ministery of Tourism and Antiquities/AP)
The city quarters that were uncovered included north-south routes intersecting with east-west streets, creating open squares and public spaces, according to Hisham el-Leithy, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Excavations also uncovered the remains of a basilica church from the mid-fourth century, overlooking the main streets of the early settlement. The remains of two watchtowers were also found. The oasis, located in Egypt’s New Valley Governorate in the country’s southwest, is on UNESCO’s tentative list, one step before possible inclusion on the World Heritage list.
The sphinx statue discovered during excavations at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site in Egypt
(Photo: Ministery of Tourism and Antiquities/AP)
Dr. Mahmoud Massoud, who led the excavation mission at the site, said archaeologists found a well-fortified structure with thick defensive walls, as well as many homes that included wide halls and vaulted roofs.
Among them was the home of Tisous, identified as a deacon, or junior clergyman, of a church. The house, dated to the second half of the fourth century, is believed by archaeologists to have served as a domestic space for meetings, prayers and religious rituals before the city’s basilica was built.
Ancient settlement remains in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis
(Photo: Matyas Rehak/ Shutterstock)
Archaeologists also uncovered bread ovens, kitchens and stone grinding tools that were likely used for food production. Well-preserved bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions and Christian symbols were also found, alongside a group of gold coins dated to the reign of Roman Emperor Constantius II, who ruled from 337 to 361 AD.
Dr. Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish antiquities department, said about 200 pottery fragments were also found, carrying inscriptions that detailed commercial transactions, correspondence and other information that sheds light on daily life at the time.
Egyptian antiquities experts examine the burial chambers at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site
(Photo: Nasser Nasser/AP)
Alongside those finds, 18 ancient tombs were discovered at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, about 100 kilometers west of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. The finds included 11 rock-cut tombs at an average depth of 8 meters, and seven limestone tombs built above ground.
The discoveries brought the total number of tombs found at the site to 48. A large collection of pottery vessels, lamps and altars was also uncovered.
Dakhla Oasis in the Western Desert
(Photo: Matyas Rehak/Shutterstock)
Ayman Abdel-Khaleq, who led the excavations at the site, said one of the most notable finds was a 2.5-meter granite sarcophagus containing skeletal remains, which are now being studied.
“The remains of a gypsum sphinx statue were also found, along with four gold coins placed in the mouths of some of the deceased, a common practice in rituals at the time,” Abdel-Khaleq said.
Roman-era burial plot decorations discovered in Dakhla Oasis in the Western Desert
(Photo: Egyptian Antiquities Authority/AP)
The archaeological site is located near the town of El Alamein on Egypt’s northern coast. The site, discovered in 1986, is identified by archaeologists as the ancient Greek-Roman Mediterranean port city of Leukaspis, built in the second century and thriving until the fourth century.
Egypt hopes the discoveries will help boost its tourism sector, which was badly damaged by years of political turmoil and the coronavirus pandemic. Some recovery is already visible: a record 19 million tourists visited Egypt last year, up 21% from 2024. In the first four months of 2026, 6.1 million tourists visited the country, compared with 5.7 million during the same period last year.