What do Egyptian leaders know about the ancient city of Leukaspis? Why do they want to turn the city into an open-air museum? Us
e facts and examples from the lesson in your answer.
MARINA, Egypt. Today, the city of Marina, Egypt, contains many vacation homes. The nation's rich go to Marina to play on the white beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. But 2,000 years ago, this resort town was the location of a thriving port city. The ancient city was known as Leukaspis or Antiphrae. In the fourth century, it was nearly wiped out by a tsunami. The city remained hidden for 2,000 years. More recently, in September 2010, Egyptian leaders were preparing to put the remains of Leukaspis on display for the public to see.
"Visitors can go to understand how people lived back then, how they built their graves, lived in villas, or traded in the main [square]," said Ahmed Amin. He is a government official. "Everyone's heard of the resort Marina; now they will know the historic Marina."
Constructing a resort town on top of an ancient city might have destroyed the old city's remains. However, Leukaspis was not buried further. Instead, the construction led to its discovery. Engineers began cutting into the sandy coast in 1986. They were preparing to build roads for the new resort. That's when they uncovered ancient tombs and houses. They realized that they had unearthed what was left of a city founded in the second century BCE.
Leaders set aside 200 acres (about 80 hectares) of the region for archaeology. Gradually, a picture of Leukaspis developed through its remains. At one point, the city was part of the Roman Empire. Its advanced layout and construction reflect that. Ancient Leukaspis' tombs, villas, and city streets offer a rare example of a city from this time period.
Leukaspis was a thriving port town. At its height, up to 15,000 people lived there. The city exported grains, livestock, wine, and olives to the rest of the Mediterranean region. Merchants lived in elegant two-story villas set along zigzagging streets. Rainwater collected from roofs ran down special hollowed-out pillars into channels under the floor. These channels led to family water tanks.
The town center was located where the two main streets cross. It was the heart of the city. There, visitors can see the remains of a basilica. This was a hall for public events. It later became a church after Christianity spread across the Roman Empire. A semicircular space lined with benches provided a space for town leaders to discuss business.
Most of Leukaspis' jobs came from the Mediterranean Sea. And from the sea came the city's end. In 365 CE, a major earthquake near the Mediterranean island of Crete set off a tsunami. Leukaspis was largely destroyed. Nearby Alexandria was also destroyed.
In the last few years, the Egyptian government has become more interested in spreading knowledge about the country's Roman period. As a result, officials turned their attention to Leukaspis. In 2005, they asked Polish architect Agnieszka Dobrowlska to return. Dobrowlska had helped unearth Leukaspis in the 1990s. Officials wanted Dobrowlska to work on the project to turn ancient Marina into an open-air museum for tourists.
Dobrowlska felt that the project couldn't have come at a better time. Without interest in the project, ancient Marina might have been destroyed while the resort was being built.
Creating the museum is part of a plan to make Marina more than just a summer place for Egyptians. Officials hope the ruins will attract tourists from many different countries. If they are successful, then officials might create museums for other nearby locations. If that happens, Egypt's ancient history could live on for centuries to come.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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