Temple of Aphrodite of the 5th century BC found at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Egypt

Archaeologists have discovered an underwater temple of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite in Egypt. This happened during excavations in the sunken ancient city of Heraklion in Abu Qir Bay near Alexandria, RIA Novosti reports (https://ria.ru/20230921/egipet-1897618531.html) with reference to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

“A joint Egyptian-French archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute of Underwater Archeology discovered the temple of the goddess Aphrodite, dating back to the 5th century BC,” the agency quotes a statement from the department.

In particular, inside the temple, archaeologists found bronze and ceramic objects brought from Greece, the report says.

According to scientists, Heraklion was built around the 8th century BC in the coastal zone of the Mediterranean Sea. The city was the largest trading center and port of Ancient Egypt until the construction of Alexandria in 331 BC, writes RIA Novosti.

“It sank about 1,200 years ago and the remains of the city are currently underwater at varying depths of up to 45 meters. Archaeologists discovered it in 2000 and consider the ancient metropolis to be an interesting underwater museum,” the report notes.