Archaeologists uncover a complete Byzantine city in Egypt’s Western Desert
Streets, a basilica, homes, bread ovens and gold coins emerge from the sands of the Dakhla Oasis.
Key points
- Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on 4 July 2026 the discovery of a well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city at Ain El-Sabil in the Dakhla Oasis.
- The mudbrick city has a planned street grid, a fourth-century basilica, watchtowers, homes with vaulted ceilings, bread ovens and kitchens.
- Gold coins from the reign of Emperor Constantius II (337–361) help date the settlement.
Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved Byzantine-era city in the Dakhla Oasis, in the country's Western Desert. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the find on 4 July 2026.
The site, at Ain El-Sabil in the New Valley Governorate, was excavated by an Egyptian archaeological mission.
A planned city
The city was built entirely from mudbrick and follows an organised plan: main streets run north to south, crossed by east-west roads, creating a network of open squares and public spaces.
At its centre stands a fourth-century basilica overlooking one of the main streets. Archaeologists also found:
- the remains of two watchtowers on the outskirts and a fortified building with thick walls;
- spacious homes with vaulted ceilings;
- bread ovens, kitchens and stone tools for grinding grain;
- a large collection of bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions and Christian symbols.
Dating the city
Gold coins from the reign of Emperor Constantius II, who ruled from 337 to 361, help date the settlement's main period of occupation.
Why it matters
Most attention on Egypt's past focuses on the pharaohs. Finds like this one show the depth of its later history too, and how desert oases supported organised urban life many centuries ago.
Sources
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