Marea — Lake Mareotis Western Harbour Submerged (Phi loxene)
Marea · Philoxenite · Kom Marea · Mariout Marea
Hellenistic to Early Islamic (c.300 BCE – 700 CE)·Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine·🇪🇬 Alexandria Governorate, Kom Marea, Lake Mariout (Mareotis) south shore, Egypt
About
About Marea — Lake Mareotis Western Harbour Submerged (Phi loxene)
Marea (Philoxenite), Graeco-Roman-Byzantine port town on Lake Mareotis southern shore supplying wine to Alexandria via 40 km lake-river canal. Extensive town plan 13 ha with basilicas, wine presses, kilns and Nile-mud amphora production (Marea ware). Western harbour lagoon now 0.3–1 m tidally submerged under Mariout floating mats and silt, with stone jetties and breakwater traced by Polish Marea team (Szymańska-Babraj) 2000–2019. Excavated 1970s Adam, continuous Polish-Egyptian mission. Distinct from Mareotis villa focus; isolates western submerged jetty harbour.
Why it mattersCapital of Mareotic wine — narrow-necked amphora typology (AE3) proves vintage trade to Levant; lake jetty stratigraphy tracks Mariout–Nile canal水利 and subsidence.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Twin western vs eastern harbour debate
- 02Lake level high stand chronology
Theories
- 01Western jetty is shipment harbour, eastern is fishing
- 02Nile-Mariout canal dried ca.650 CE drowning harbour
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.300 BCE Ptolemy I lagoon harbour
- Period
- Hellenistic to Early Islamic (c.300 BCE – 700 CE)
- Culture
- Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine
- Purpose
- Lake wine export to Alexandria, Nile-Mariout customs lake port
- Abandoned
- c.700 CE (Nile branch drying, Arab shift to Alexandria)
- Rediscovered
- 1970s F. Adam; 2000– Polish-Egyptian Univ. Krakow
- Excavation
- Buried
c.300 BCE
Ptolemy I founds Marea wine harbour on Mariout
6th c. CE
Byzantine Marea peak — 13 ha churches and 10 kilns
2000–2019
Polish Marea team maps western submerged jetties 0.3–1 m
On the ground
Structures & features
31.0060° N · 29.6440° E · -1 m · 3 mapped features
Basilica and Wine Press Complex
industrialBasilica with press floors and 10 kiln batteries producing Marea amphorae
31.0070° N · 29.6430° EWestern Harbour Submerged Jetties
harbourStone jetties and breakwater at –0.3 to –1 m under Mariout mats
31.0060° N · 29.6440° EAmphora Kiln Field (Marea ware)
kilnField of circular kilns 3 m diameter firing Mareotic ware
31.0080° N · 29.6450° E