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How Egypt plans to excavate antiquities submerged under Alexandria waters

Alexandria University launched a new project to excavate and preserve underwater artifacts, in a bid to revive tourism and protect Egypt's underwater heritage.
This picture taken on March 3, 2019 shows a view from inside the catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa (Mound of Shards), dating to the Roman period (1st-4th centuries AD) in the centre of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, during the inauguration of a project to drain groundwater from the archaeological site. (Photo by Mohamed el-Shahed / AFP)        (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images)

CAIRO — Alexandria University inaugurated Jan. 1 a new project dubbed “Underwater Heritage” aimed at excavating underwater artifacts in the eastern port of Alexandria in the northern coast of Egypt. The project is led by Emad Khalil, director of the Alexandria Center for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage, and carried out in collaboration with the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO and a number of European partners in support of the project.

President of Alexandria University Abdul Aziz Qanswa said in a statement Jan. 1 that this project will ensure that Egypt's underwater heritage is not lost, describing the project as a qualitative leap in the tourism sector given the treasures and antiquities dating back thousands of years.

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