Cairo: Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathi witnessed the first recovery operation of sunken antiquities in 25 years at Abu Qir area in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The event, which took place on Thursday, was also attended by Alexandria Governor Ahmed Khaled and other senior officials from the Tourism Ministry.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the minister expressed gratitude to all workers involved in the Sunken Antiquities Department and Alexandria City Hall for their efforts in successfully completing the retrieval operation. The Underwater Antiquities Department managed to recover several artifacts from beneath the waters of the Mediterranean Sea in the Abu Qir area, located in the eastern part of the Alexandria governorate.

The minister was briefed by the team of archaeologists supervising the underwater recovery operation about the nature and significance of the retrieved items. Among the artifacts were statues of human figures and various tools from different historical periods, particularly the Roman era, including parts of a millstone.

This latest excavation is part of the cultural heritage underwater program, which commenced on Wednesday and continues through Thursday across several museums and archaeological sites in the Alexandria governorate. The Minister praised the efforts of the underwater antiquities sector, indicating that the Antiquities Ministry is considering displaying the artifacts in a museum exhibition or potentially establishing an underwater museum in Alexandria.

The minister also highlighted that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conventions permit the recovery of certain artifacts while others must remain submerged. He emphasized that the recovered artifacts were extracted in full compliance with international standards and agreements.