The site is located in Alexandria, at the eastern tip of the Pharos Peninsula, facing the eastern side of the Qaitbay Citadel. The site begins directly at the edge of the citadel, extending for 150 meters, with a depth ranging from 6 to 8 meters.
In 1962, Kamel Abu El-Saadat collaborated with the Egyptian Navy to recover the statue known at the time as the "Isis of Pharia." The statue was broken into three pieces, and it was discovered that the base retrieved belonged to the statue. As a result, it was decided to place it in the Maritime Museum of Alexandria's Center for Studies under the leadership of Dr. Jean-Yves Amberier.
Work on the site began in 1994.The site contains the remains of artifacts that were once around the "Pompey's Pillar" and were thrown into the harbor during the reign of Saladin in 1167 to hinder the Crusader invasion from Cyprus. The site also includes debris from the Pharos lighthouse and its island, as most of the pieces weighing over 20 tons are arranged in a linear formation heading north, slightly away from the base of the citadel, confirming that they fell from a high or large structure.
More than 3,000 architectural artifacts have been discovered (columns, statues, bases, capitals), with 36 large pieces selected and displayed in a corridor in the Roman Theater at Kom El-Dikka. Additionally, the wreckage of three ships has been identified, with only their cargo remaining. These artifacts date from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD.
