Egypt uncovers lost Byzantine-era city in latest western desert discovery

A well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city in the western desert is one of two major archaeological finds announced by Egypt on Saturday.The recent discoveries at the Dakhla Oasis and at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, near Alexandria, are the latest findings which the Egyptian government hopes will boost the country’s vital tourism sector, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing.Along with the strategic Suez Canal, tourism is a major source of foreign currency in the cash-strapped country.The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said that the first discovery reveals details of daily life, urban development and economic activities in the Dakhla Oasis in the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine empire.The unearthed quarters included north-south thoroughfares intersected by east-west streets, forming open squares and public spaces, said Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities.A basilica church dating back to the mid-fourth century stands at the settlement’s head, overlooking its main streets, along with remains of two watchtowers to safeguard the outskirts, said Mahmoud Massoud, who chairs the archaeological mission.The oasis, located in Egypt’s western province of New Valley in the western desert, is on UNESCO ’s Tentative List, a step away from being added to the agency’s World Heritage List.A heavily fortified structure with thick defensive walls, and many houses consisting of reception halls and vaulted roofs were found in the area, Massoud said.Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon and dating to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city’s basilica.Archaeologists also uncovered bread ovens, kitchens and stone grinding tools that had been apparently used to produce food.Also found were well-preserved bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions a...