The world's first underwater museum could be displaying the treasures of ancient Alexandria as early as 2013, predicts Louise Murray SUBMERGED in the shallow waters of the Bay of Alexandria lies an treasure trove of unique splendour and breadth. Thousands of artefacts litter the sea bed, including sphinxes, huge 56-tonne stone blocks covered in hieroglyphics, and many spectacular religious statues from the era of Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony. In the 4th and 5th centuries a series of earthquakes and tsunamis hit the area, condemning Cleopatra's palace to the murky depths of the bay. The location was rediscovered in the mid 1990s by marine archaeologists. The entire floor is packed full of ancient and historical sites - Greco-Roman remains, shipwrecks from the monumental battle between Napoleon and Nelson - and is also home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the lighthouse at Pharos.
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