You would think that anything that’s been around for over eight thousand years would’ve been discovered by now.  Not so, as divers off the coast of Egypt, near the bay of Aboukir, recently discovered the lost city of Heracleion which dates back to the 6th century B.C.   The underwater find includes grand statues of gods and goddesses standing well over 15 feet tall and carved out of red granite, intricate and complex temples, treasures of gold and rare stones, and gigantic tablets. This find is very significant in the historical preservation community and has been commissioned by museums around the world. Pictured below are some of the amazing discoveries.

 

 

 

Here is the head of a statue carved out of red granite depicting the god Hapi. Hapi is known as the god of the flooding of the Nile. Hapi is a symbol of abundance and fertility and has never been discovered at such a large-scale before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is diver Franck Goddio examining the enormous hand carved statue of a pharaoh. This statue stands roughly 16 feet tall and was found near a large temple under the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gold plaque was found in the southern sector of the city. The text is written in Greek and acts as a signature for foundation deposits in the name of the king responsible for building this area. King Ptolemy III (246-222 B.C.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The divers and their team of researchers carefully lift the statue to the surface in order to preserve and protect this piece of history. It will reside safely in a museum. 
 

 

 

 

 

Here the pharaoh, the queen and the god Hapi are laid on the barge next to a temple stele. The stele dates back to the 2nd century B.C.. It was found broken into 17 pieces however all were found and placed back together.

 

 

 

 

 

In the reflection of this divers mask we see a bronze statue of the god Osiris. The crown is the typical insignia of power and this statue has eyes adorned with gold sheets. 

 

 

 

 

Here is a beautiful artifact, a Graeco-Egyptian statue of a queen carved out of dark stone. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an absolutely stunning statue found under the bay of a Ptolemiac queen. Most likely Cleopatra II or Cleopatra III dressed as the goddess Isis. 

 

 

                                                                                          This red granite statue was also found near the big temple of Heracleion and weighs a massive 4 tons. 

 

 

This is a shallow gold saucer that was used for drinking and serving.

 

 

 

 

 

Here the divers carefully inspect a stone full of gold fragments that date back to the 6th century B.C. I’m amazed that these are still in tact. 

 

 

 

 

This is a fantastic underwater discovery that has researchers scrambling to this part of the globe to learn about this incredibly beautiful Egyptian city. The fact that this city found underwater has been left untouched underwater for so many years is an amazing factor on its own let alone being a find as big as it truly is. These statues and artifacts are massive and nearly perfectly preserved.