I have been looking forward to this re-opening for a long time, and just got the announcement that some of the artifacts uncovered by the Franck Goddio and the IEASM  are on display again...

" The Graeco-Roman Museum of Alexandria re-opened its doors to the public in 2023 after 18 years of renovation work. The museum's archaeological collection is dedicated to the Greek and Roman eras of Egypt. It illustrates the periods of history from before the foundation of Alexandria by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, the subsequent Ptolemaic Dynasty who ruled until 30 BC, followed by Egypt's time as a Roman province up to the Muslim conquest in 641 AD.
Among the 10,000 artefacts on display are several discovered by the IEASM during underwater excavations in the sunken cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus as well as in the ancient Portus Magnus of Alexandria.
As a world premiere, the stele of Thonis-Heracleion, discovered underwater in 2000, is displayed side by side with its twin, uncovered in Naukratis in 1899. Both are inscribed with The Decree of Nectanebo I which concerns payments to a local temple. The twin steles have 14 identical columns of hieroglyphs and differ only in column 13, where the locations they were erected are specified. To find two intact copies of the same edict by Nectanebo I practically on the spot they were originally set up is a very rare event in the history of archaeology.
Further artefacts in the collection include the statue of a Ptolemaic queen, the Naos of the Decades and the Neilos bust.

The finds include votives, jewelry, ritual instruments, and a duck-shaped pourer. in this article by
Sarah Cascone, October 6, 2023


“It is extremely moving to discover such delicate objects, which survived intact despite the violence and magnitude of the cataclysm,” Goddio said in a statement.
Thonis-Heracleion was Egypt’s biggest port for centuries, before being surpassed by Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.E. The city was eventually lost thanks to a combination of rising sea levels, earthquakes, and tsunamis, disappearing beneath the waves along with a large section of the Nile delta. It was largely forgotten for centuries, until 21st-century archaeologists began investigating.
The most recent mission has uncovered well-preserved underground structures beneath the temple, made from wooden posts and beams from the 5th century B.C.E. To detect subterranean chambers and objects buried beneath yards of clay, the team used new geophysical prospecting technologies.
During the mission, archaeologists discovered a new sanctuary to Aphrodite, suggesting a strong presence of Greek settlers and traders in Thonis-Heracleion. Several finds of ancient Greek weapons provide further evidence of Grecian influence in the port city during the time of the Saïte dynasty (around 664 to 525 B.C.E.)
Other recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt include a 3,200-year-old underground tomb complex and two mummification workshops in the ancient Saqqara necropolis.
See more photos of the most recent Thonis-Heracleion excavations and their finds below.

A team of underwater archaeologists has made new discoveries at a sunken temple in the ancient port city Thonis-Heracleion, which is now located off Egypt’s coast, the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) announced on Tuesday, Writes ARTNews

The city, which was initially found underwater by the IEASM in 2000, was once Egypt’s largest port along the Mediterranean Sea. That port was active for centuries before the founding of Alexandria in 331 BCE. Its remains are now under the ocean roughly 4.3 miles from the current coastline.

Artifacts at a Greek sanctuary to Aphrodite among the ruins of the ancient city Thonis-Heracleion. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation. Photo Christoph Gerigk

Led by French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, the team found huge blocks of stone from a collapsed ancient temple dedicated to the god Amun. Pharaohs went to the temple to be bestowed with their power as king.
Additionally, the team found precious objects, among them silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry, and alabaster containers for perfumes and ointments. These objects are thought to have once belonged to the temple treasury.
Excavations conducted by Goddio’s team and the underwater archaeology department of Egypt’s ministry and tourism department yielded underground structures supported dating back to the 5th century BCE. Before these structures sunk, they were supported using wooden posts and beams. The use of new geophysical prospecting technologies, which make it possible to detect buried chambers and objects, aided in the find.
A Greek sanctuary to Aphrodite containing bronze and ceramic objects was unearthed east of the Amun temple. Archaeologists believe that the discovery of Greek weapons in the area indicated the presence of mercenaries who would have been defending access to the Kingdom. It also demonstrates that Greeks were allowed to trade and settle in the city during the Saïte dynasty (664–525 BCE).

Even Business Insider is getting in on the exciting news of the recent finds of Franck Goddio's Team in Egypt

One of the Team with a very interesting find
© Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation. Photo Christoph Gerigk

They lay hidden on the ocean bed for more than 1,000 years, but now the treasures and secrets of an ancient city off the coastline of Egypt are being uncovered, reads the article from todays Independant

The remains of a massive temple and a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek goddess of Aphrodite have been discovered in the underwater port city of Thonis-Heracleion by a team led by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM).
The team explored the city’s south canal, where huge blocks of stone from the Amun temple were believed to have crumbled “during a cataclysmic event dated to the mid-2nd Century BC”, according to the IEASM.

The search also revealed gold and silver treasure from the sunken temple, including artifacts that were used to bless the pharaohs as they ascended to the throne. It also found the sanctuary to Aphrodite along with ancient Greek weapons.
The discoveries suggest that Greeks were allowed to relocate, live and worship in the ancient Egyptian city, now located in the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria.

Archaeology Magazine covers the recent finds of Franck Goddio's team, emphasizing the connection between the Greek and Egyptian Cultures.

This statue of a Queen of Egypt, emerging from the sea in a wet, transparent tunic clinging to her body, is attributed to Arsinoé II.

Can you imagine the desire amongst the divers on Franck's team to find the remaining pieces of this beautiful statue in the submarine desert sands of Canopus?

I'm re-watching these videos Franck Goddio made about some of the greatest finds during the ongoing underwater archaeological excavations of Sunken Egyptian Cities.

After a millenium under the sea, and a few years on tour of the worlds cultural capitals as part of exhibitions of the finds of the IEASM, the colossal statues of an Egyptian Queen dressed as Isis and her double-crowned Pharaoh King have found a permanent home at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.



The long anticipated Museum opening has not yet occurred, but eager visitors can already see the Royal Couple in their place of prominence. So far from where Franck Goddio's team of divers found them. I am so proud to be part of that team, and remember the discovery like it was yesterday.

CNN just covered the opening in a video clip here. I hope you enjoy it.