1,700-Year-Old Christian City Found in Egypt With Basilica Church and Biblical-Era Artifacts

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved Christian city dating back roughly 1,700 years beneath Egypt’s western desert, offering a rare glimpse into the daily life of one of Christianity’s earliest communities.

According to Fox News, the discovery was made at the Ain al-Sabil archaeological site in the Dakhla Oasis, about 185 miles west of Luxor. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the find on July 3, describing the Byzantine-era settlement as a “complete” city.

The excavation revealed a mid-fourth century basilica church, the home of a church deacon named Tisos, and what archaeologists believe was an earlier house church belonging to Tapibos before the basilica was constructed.

In a translated statement cited by Fox News, officials said, “All of the city’s buildings were constructed of mudbrick.” The site also includes “the basilica church, dating to the mid-fourth century A.D.; the remains of two watchtowers on the city’s outskirts; a fortress with thick defensive walls; and a cluster of houses featuring large halls and vaulted ceilings.”

Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities Sector at Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the settlement followed “a well-planned urban layout.”

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“It features main streets running north to south intersected by east-west cross streets, creating open squares and plazas,” Zahran said. “At the center of the city stands a basilica church overlooking one of the principal streets.”

Excavators also recovered household artifacts, Byzantine coins bearing Christian symbols, and an archive of 200 ostraca—inscribed pottery fragments written in Coptic and Greek.

“The texts record sales transactions, correspondence and other details of everyday life,” excavation director Zahran Mahdi said, according to Fox News.

The discovery adds to a growing list of significant Christian archaeological finds in Egypt, shedding new light on the growth and organization of the early church during the fourth century.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].