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Ancient Egyptian Royal Pleasure Boat Unearthed off Alexandria Coast

Archaeologists working off the coast of Alexandria have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved ancient Egyptian pleasure boat, matching detailed descriptions written nearly 2,000 years ago by the Greek historian Strabo. The discovery, made near the submerged island of Antirhodos in Alexandria’s Portus Magnus, is the first physical example of such a luxury vessel ever found in Egypt.
Dating to the first half of the 1st century A.D., the 35-meter-long boat was designed for elite leisure outings and featured a central pavilion and richly decorated cabin. Strabo described these vessels as lavish craft used by the royal court and revelers who traveled along Alexandria’s waterways, filling them with music, dancing, and night-long festivities.
The excavation was carried out by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) under the direction of maritime archaeologist Franck Goddio. He called the find “extremely exciting,” noting that while similar boats appear in ancient art — such as the famous Palestrina mosaic — no actual example had ever been discovered until now.
The boat’s preserved timbers reveal a flat bow and rounded stern, engineered for navigating shallow water. It may have required more than 20 rowers. Buried just 7 meters below the surface and 1.5 meters beneath sediment, its unusual structure initially led researchers to believe two vessels were lying atop each other.
The wreck was found less than 50 meters from the Temple of Isis, also being excavated by Goddio. The pleasure boat may have sunk during the catastrophic events that struck Alexandria around A.D. 50, when earthquakes and tidal waves caused major parts of the ancient port — including palaces and temples — to collapse into the sea. Another possibility is that the vessel served in ritual processions dedicated to Isis, functioning as a sacred barge for the navigium Isidis festival.
Fragments of Greek graffiti found on the boat’s central structure are still being analyzed.
Researchers say the find offers rare insight into luxury, ceremony, and daily life on the waterways of early Roman Egypt. Excavations in Alexandria’s eastern harbor and the Bay of Abu Qir have already revealed spectacular discoveries, including the sunken cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. Yet only a small portion of the submerged landscape has been explored, and further work is planned.
Following UNESCO guidelines, the newly discovered boat will remain underwater, where conditions best preserve it for future study.

Published on: 08-12-2025

Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie

Source: The Guardian