Greece & Rome · Late Ptolemaic to Byzantine · Muharram Bey, Alexandria, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt
Circular Ptolemaic bath and Roman villa with mosaics found in Alexandria, Egypt
Rescue excavations in central Alexandria found a site occupied from the Ptolemaic to the Byzantine period, with marble statues of Bacchus, Asclepius and possibly Minerva.
Official announcement
Muharram Bey, Alexandria, Egypt Egyptian archaeologists have excavated a circular public bath and the remains of a Roman villa with mosaic floors in central Alexandria. The bath dates from the late Ptolemaic period. The site is in Muharram Bey (also spelled Moharam Bek), a district in central Alexandria.
People lived on the site from the Ptolemaic period through the Roman era and into Byzantine times. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities says the site helps fill a gap in what is known about the south-eastern part of the ancient city.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities carried out the work as a rescue excavation ahead of development. According to Archaeology News, it began about nine months ago after a construction request near Alexandria Station. Early surveys identified several layers of occupation under the modern neighbourhood.
Ibrahim Mustafa directs the mission and supervises the central district. He said the excavation had lasted several months and produced exceptional results.
A round Greek-style bath and a wealthy Roman house
The bath is of the tholos type, a building with a round plan known from Greek architecture. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said it dates from the late Ptolemaic period. That was the final phase of the dynasty that ruled Egypt from Alexandria until the Roman conquest in 30 BC.
The bath's full layout is still being studied. Early evidence suggests that more rooms connected to it remain underground.
Near the bath lie the remains of a Roman house. It appears to have belonged to a wealthy owner. Its floors were laid in several mosaic techniques. These include opus tessellatum, made of small square tiles, and opus sectile, in which larger pieces of cut stone are fitted into patterns.
Mohamed Abdel Badi is director of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector. He said the variety of techniques reflected the range of artistic schools working in Alexandria under the Ptolemies and the Romans. The villa also had a small bathing pool. It was supplied and drained by what officials described as an integrated water management system.
Statues of gods, coins and trade jars
The movable finds include marble statues of deities. Among them are Bacchus and Asclepius, the Graeco-Roman god of healing. There is also a headless figure the team presumes to be Minerva.
The team also recovered coins, oil lamps, pottery vessels and fragments of stamped amphorae. Amphorae were the jars used to ship goods such as wine and olive oil. Officials read these objects as evidence of Alexandria's trade with the rest of the Mediterranean.
Archaeology News reports that the Asclepius statue has led researchers to consider whether parts of the area later had a healing function. Arkeonews notes that further study is needed before any firm conclusion.
The finds support old maps of the ancient city
Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC. Much of the ancient city now lies beneath modern streets. Hisham Hussein, head of the Central Administration of Lower Egypt Antiquities, said the south-eastern sector had not been adequately studied before.
Hussein said the new results support the historical maps of the city. They particularly support the work of Mahmoud Bey El-Falaki, he said. It was one of the first scientific attempts to reconstruct Alexandria's urban plan. It combined astronomical measurements, topographical study and historical analysis.
According to Hussein, the finds also show that Muharram Bey lay within the walls of Alexandria until the Byzantine period. The area's importance declined afterwards because of changes in the city's planning.
Sherif Fathy, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, said the results contribute to redefining the urban map of ancient Alexandria. He presented the dig as an example of rescue excavation carried out alongside development projects.
Restoration has begun and the dig continues
Preliminary restoration has begun on the smaller objects. They are being prepared for transfer to specialist laboratories. Part of one mosaic floor remains in place while specialists decide whether to lift it for conservation.
The ministry is studying whether to display the most important pieces at the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. Excavation at the site is continuing.
Sources
- The Discovery of Circular Public Baths and a Villa with Mosaics Reveals the Urban Evolution of Alexandria Throughout Its Various Periods (La Brújula Verde)
- Ancient bathhouse and Roman villa with mosaics unearthed in Alexandria during rescue excavation (Archaeology News)
- Rare Circular Bath and Mosaic Roman Villa Unearthed in Alexandria Reveal a Lost Urban Quarter (Arkeonews)
- Public baths and villa with mosaic floors found in Alexandria (Archaeology Wiki)
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