Source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Fifty years after the construction of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile, scientists have begun exploring ancient temples that were submerged as a result of building the hydroelectric power station.
A joint Egyptian-French expedition is currently implementing an innovative underwater photo-archaeological survey project in the area of Aswan, between the high dam and the reservoir, where previously unexplored ancient monuments lie beneath the water.
According to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, the archaeological mission has started its first season of work around the historic islands of Philae and Konosso, which are now submerged due to the reservoir, and has discovered historically significant rock inscriptions and reliefs from the New Kingdom period (16th-11th century BCE), when Ancient Egypt was experiencing its peak, as well as from the Late Period (7th-4th century BCE). He stated, "Due to the good preservation of the inscriptions, scientists have been able to fully document the texts for further study" and to create three-dimensional models of the discovered monuments.
Frescoes depicting the pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty, Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III (14th century BCE), as well as Psamtik II and Apries from the 26th Dynasty (6th century BCE), were also found.
According to Hisham Al-Layti, head of the Department of Conservation and Registration of Egyptian Antiquities at the Supreme Council, the archaeologists used the most advanced scientific technologies during their work, allowing for underwater photo and video recordings, photogrammetry, and archaeological drafting during the dives. "These tools enabled the identification and documentation of rock inscriptions, both submerged and partially submerged in the Nile," he explained.
Back in the 1950s, before the construction of the Aswan Dam, which became the main hydraulic engineering structure of the Land of Pyramids in the 20th century with the assistance of the USSR, Egypt and Sudan discussed plans to preserve unique ancient temples and monuments that were inevitably at risk of being submerged as the reservoir filled. Ideas were proposed to cover each temple with a glass dome and create an underwater museum.
Ultimately, with the assistance of UNESCO and support from other countries, a grand project was implemented to relocate the temples to higher ground. For instance, the temple complex of Abu Simbel, dedicated to one of the greatest pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, Ramses II, and his wife, Queen Nefertari, was cut into pieces and moved 200 meters away from the river and 65 meters higher.
The temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, was also relocated; it now sits on Agilkia Island, preserving its previous reference to Philae Island, while the historic Philae, which had been regularly submerged during seasonal Nile floods, has finally disappeared underwater. Over 20 years, 24 temple complexes from ancient Nubia were saved and relocated in pieces. However, some ancient Egyptian monuments appeared to be lost forever under the water. Only now, with the advent of modern technology, has the opportunity arisen to see and study them.
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