In the course of ten years spent in the Eastern harbour of Alexandria and the Bay of Aboukir, marine archaeologist Franck Goddio has discovered a veritable treasure trove of Egyptian remains dating from the 7th century BC to the 8th century AD. Submerged for over a thousand years after a combination of natural disasters, these relics were only located through the use of highly sophisticated technology; after which actually bringing the giant statues, coins, jewellery and ritual objects to the surface required years of unrelenting work. Thus it is that today these legendary places live again: the ancient harbour of Alexandria with its royal dwellings, the lost city of Herakleion, and Eastern Canopus.

On show to the public at the Grand Palais from 9 December 2006 – 16 March 2007, some 500 pieces discovered during these spectacular undersea explorations retrace the history of Egypt from the last Pharaohs to Alexander the Great, from the Hellenic conquests to the Roman Empire, and from the Christian era to the rise of Islam.

These remarkable finds testify to the importance of three cities which in Antiquity, were among the most renowned centres for business, science, culture and religion. Here influences from Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome mingled with the age-old culture of the Pharaohs, resulting in links and mergings out of which were born new lifestyles that left an enduring mark on the religious and cultural landscape of ancient Egypt.

In addition to historical information ansd the works of art, the exhibition also provides a spectacular look at the world of the divers and marine archaeologists.