Archaeologists have discovered a sunken ancient port off the coast of Egypt, which they believe likely served as a major maritime hub during the time of Cleopatra VII, the country's last pharaoh.
The submerged port, located near the ruins of the Taposiris Magna temple, just west of Alexandria, was uncovered by a team led by archaeologist Kathleen Martínez and Bob Ballard, a marine archaeologist known for his discovery of the Titanic.
The finding, announced Thursday by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Archaeological Works, is the subject of a new National Geographic documentary, Cleopatra's Final Secret, premiering on September 25.
In the newly revealed site, the team found large structures arranged in rows and over 20 feet high. The structures included polished floors, cemented blocks, columns, and amphorae—vessels used to store and transport goods—as well as multiple anchors that date back to the time of Cleopatra. This suggests that "the submerged site could have been a port that was once used by Cleopatra," National Geographic noted in a statement Thursday.
The latest discovery builds on earlier finds at the ruins of Taposiris Magna, including a 4,265-foot underground tunnel uncovered in 2022 that extends toward the Mediterranean.
That tunnel, partly submerged and set around 40 feet underground, contained artifacts from Cleopatra's reign, including ceramic jars and pottery dating to the Ptolemaic period. "The port was active during the time of Cleopatra and before at the beginning of the dynasty," according to Martínez, National Geographic reported Thursday.
Martínez, a criminal lawyer-turned-archaeologist, has spent nearly 20 years searching for the final resting place of Cleopatra.
Many archaeologists believe the pharaoh was buried near the royal palace in Alexandria, which sank into the sea following an earthquake and tsunami in A.D. 365. But Martínez's research led her instead to Taposiris Magna, a temple complex about 30 miles west of Alexandria in the Egyptian coastal town of Borg El Arab.
The latest finding not only enhances the archaeological significance of Taposiris Magna, but may also expand its historical role beyond that of a religious site. The discovery "suggests that Taposiris Magna was not only an important religious center, but also a maritime trading hub, far more expansive than anyone previously realized," according to National Geographic.
"That makes the temple really important," Martínez said, adding that it "had all the conditions to be chosen for Cleopatra to be buried with Mark Antony," the Roman general she married.
Ballard and his team worked with the Egyptian Navy to conduct a sonar survey of the seafloor. They found structures that included what they dubbed "Salam 5," a group of rectangular stone constructions reminiscent of broken statues at the Taposiris Magna temple.
Ballard built a detailed map charting nearly 6 miles of underwater terrain, which Martínez and her team will use for new excavations focusing on the "Salam 5" later this month.
"We will continue searching on land and underwater," Martínez said, adding that she feels finding Cleopatra's tomb is "a matter of time."
Cleopatra's Final Secret premieres September 25 on the National Geographic channel and is available for streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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