Herodotus, the father of history, was right and underwater archaeology confirms it…
Egypt, Aboukir Bay, at the mouth of the Nile, there where two great ancient civilisations met and the rest is history : long before the conquest of Alexander the Great, Greek merchants and soldiers had been allowed to settle down in Egypt at the “mouth of the Nile”. This exhibition shows a new aspect of the underwater archaeological research on Aboukir Bay’s Sunken Cities: not only Greek life, but also Greek legends in Egypt that are 3000 years old, long before the reign of the Ptolemies. The two cultures co-existed and influenced each other.
A range of multimedia displays of various scales complement a large collection of recently discovered objects from the underwater excavations. Many have never been seen outside of Egypt before. They are complemented by some 20 masterpieces on loan from museums in Egypt. A spectacle of colours and lights is used in conjunction with the objects and photographs, sounds, video, and interactive displays to create another time and place for an enhanced visitor experience.
A unique archaeological discovery with the help of advanced technologies is used to bring ancient Egypt to life and place visitors in the centre of underwater excavations thanks to 3D objects, 3D videos of excavated sites, 360° VR videos (a technique used for the first time in an underwater environment ), reconstructions, holograms, as well as a photogrammetry of a tumulus covering Greek funerary offerings in Thonis-Heracleion (5-4th century BCE).
The Greeks in Egypt is one of the highlights of the underwater archaeological excavations directed by Franck Goddio, president of the European Institute for Underwater Archeology (IEASM), in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
