Marea — Western Harbour at Lake Mareotis West (Phi Loxene West)
Marea West Harbour · Lake Mareotis Western Harbour · Phi Loxene Western Basin
Ptolemaic to Early Islamic (300 BCE – 800 CE)·Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine·🇪🇬 Alexandria Governorate, Lake Mareotis (Mariout) southern shore west harbour at Marea Hawariya, Egypt
About
About Marea — Western Harbour at Lake Mareotis West (Phi Loxene West)
Western harbour at Lake Mareotis (Mariout) west basin off Marea (Hawariya), where the Mareotis wine port's western anchorage now lies 1–2 m under lake marl and modern polders south-west of Alexandria. 2 m studied by 1977–2019 Alexandria University and Warsaw PCMA. Founded 3rd c. BCE as Mareotis wine entrepôt, western harbour was Alexandrian wine export gate shipping Mareotic wine in bag-shaped amphorae until 8th c. CE Arab dyke collapse left lake hypersaline.
Kiln bank produced Gaza amphora imitations.
Why it mattersWest harbour proves dual-basin Marea (west wine vs east Pharos transhipment); kiln bank and amphorae date Mareotic-Gaza wine trade and Alexandria supply.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether west basin is Ptolemaic or Augustan enlargement
- 02Attribution of kiln bank to Gaza or Mareotic workshop?
Theories
- 01West handled wine production, east handled Alexandrian transhipment
- 02Lake dyke collapse 800 CE forced port move to Alexandria Western 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
- 3rd c. BCE Ptolemaic fondation; western quay early Roman 30 BCE
- Period
- Ptolemaic to Early Islamic (300 BCE – 800 CE)
- Culture
- Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine
- Builders
- Ptolemaic / Roman
- Purpose
- Alexandrian Mareotic wine export harbour
- Abandoned
- c. 800 CE lake dyke collapse + Nile mouth siltation
- Rediscovered
- 1977 Empereur survey; west harbour 1979 PCMA
- Excavation
- Submerged
3rd c. BCE
Ptolemies develop Marea as Mareotis wine port
c. 30 BCE–200 CE
90 m winery quay and basin dredged Western harbour
1977–2019
PCMA maps west harbour winery quay at –1.2 m
On the ground
Structures & features
31.0100° N · 29.6100° E · -2 m · 3 mapped features
Limestone Winery Quay (90 m)
quay90 m quay at –1.2 m with mooring rings
31.0105° N · 29.6105° ESilted Western Basin Anchorage (300×200 m)
basinWestern basin 300×200 m at –1.5 m
31.0100° N · 29.6100° EAmphora Kiln Bank (40 m)
kilnKiln bank 40 m at +0.2 m with wasters
31.0095° N · 29.6102° E