The ancient city of Alexandria quickly became a booming metropolis equal in size to such great cities as Rome and Athens. One of the main causes of this intense growth is undoubtedly the Great Harbor that serviced the city. Through the Harbor, people and cargo could easily and safely reach the city of Alexandria, and most of those that came seldom left. The Harbor was also the home of the great Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Harbor Today
Today, archaeologists are searching the Great Harbor for evidence of the ancient city of Alexandria. Most recently, French businessman-turned-archaeologist Frank Goddio and a French-Egyptian team discovered a small paved area they believe to be the island of Antirrhodos. According to the description of Alexandria by the Greek geographer Strabo, who was in Egypt ca. 25-19 BCE, the island was the site of Cleopatra's palace. Due to the shallow water in the Harbor (12-21 feet), Goddio and his team were able to easily map the site using a suspended plumb bob. The line of the bob was attached to a buoy rigged with a GPS receiver in a waterproof housing. This allowed the team to accurately map the floor of the harbor and obtain detailed pictures of the artifacts resting there. "We were lucky that the water is not only shallow but quite calm, enabling us to pinpoint the locations of each contour and archaeological feature." According to Goddio, "Egypt has embarked on a cleanup of the polluted harbor. We hope one day to open the site as an underwater archaeological park. We have a whole city here."
The rules governing Goddio's seven-year project require that the artifacts remain in their place after being precisely located, mapped, and cataloged. Goddio's team made several underwater molds for many of the finds and a few of the larger items were brought to the surface temporarily to facilitate production of a complete mold. The objects were then safely returned to their original depths. Among the items the divers surfaced include dramatic stone statues, including sphinxes that portray Ptolemic rulers (one of them most likely Cleopatra's father), pieces of the Lighthouse, and earthen vessels.
A picture of one of the Statue Heads raised from the floor of the Harbor.