Ancient pleasure boat found near palace ruins tied to history's most controversial queen

Archaeologists precocious discovered the remnants of an past Egyptian "pleasure boat" adjacent the ruins of Cleopatra VII's mislaid palace successful Alexandria's royal harbor.

The find was announced by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) earlier this month. The ruins were recovered successful the large Portus Magnus of Alexandria, which is believed to clasp the remnants of Cleopatra's palace complex.

Directed by French archaeologist Franck Goddio, the excavation squad uncovered an past vas called a thalamegos.

3,000-YEAR-OLD EGYPTIAN FORTRESS UNCOVERED ALONG ROUTE TIED TO BIBLICAL EXODUS

Thalamegoi were luxurious barges utilized for a assortment of activities successful Ancient Egypt, including feasting, spiritual ceremonies and leisure cruises.

The vessel measures 115 feet agelong and 23 feet wide, with 92 feet of its operation preserved, the IEASM said.

Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a lavish Egyptian pleasance barge adjacent Cleopatra VII's mislaid palace. (Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio, Hilti Foundation; Shutterstock)

"Its operation benignant was to get a maximum breadth for the vessel to accommodate a cardinal pavilion," the enactment noted.

"The particularity of the vessel is the flat-bottomed hull with a hard chine astatine the bow and a rounded crook astatine the stern."

EXTRAORDINARY MASS GRAVES FROM CENTURIES-OLD BATTLES EMERGE ALONG HIGHWAY ROUTE

Archaeologists besides recovered graffiti written successful Greek, dating backmost to the archetypal fractional of the archetypal period A.D. — though what the graffiti says is simply a mystery. 

The graffiti is inactive nether study, the IEASM told Fox News Digital, but it inactive "reinforce[s] the proposal that the vessel was built successful Alexandria."

The luxury vessel had a wide hull plan to accommodate a cardinal pavilion for passengers. (Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio, Hilti Foundation)

The vessel "would person had a luxuriously decorated compartment and seems to person been propelled lone by oars," the IEASM said.

In the property release, Goddio suggested the vessel whitethorn person sunk during the demolition of the Temple of Isis successful 50 A.D.

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Cleopatra, respected successful Egypt but vilified successful Roman accounts, promoted the cult of Isis during her reign.

"We mightiness also suggest a ritual use for this barge," said Goddio. "It could person belonged to the sanctuary and [have been] portion of the naval ceremony, [when the] procession celebrating Isis encountered a richly decorated vessel, the Navigium."

The recently discovered thalamegos vas was utilized for rituals, leisure and feasting successful past Alexandria. (Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio, Hilti Foundation)

"This vas was performing a yearly ritual voyage of the goddess from the Portus Magnus of Alexandria to the sanctuary of Osiris astatine Canopus alongside the Canopic Channel."

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Officials stressed that probe into the wreck is "still astatine an aboriginal stage."

Even so, it offers a "fascinating travel into life, religion, luxury and pleasance connected the waterways of aboriginal Roman Egypt."

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The find follows different Cleopatra-related find that was uncovered successful 2025.

The find was made astatine a tract believed to incorporate ruins of Cleopatra's palace. (Franck Goddio, Hilti Foundation)

Egyptian archaeologists precocious uncovered a hidden harbor astatine the Temple of Taposiris Magna, different temple connected to the past queen.

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The Temple of Taposiris Magna, dedicated to the Egyptian deity Osiris, is astir 30 miles westbound of Alexandria.