Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and members of parliament inaugurated Alexandria’s cistern and imperial bathing complex area in the Kom El-Dikka archaeological site. Situated in the heart of Alexandria and characterised by its traditional style and distinctive architecture, Kom El-Dikka has a strong and powerful presence of its own. The area has a vast cultural significance as it has been undergoing excavation and restoration since 1960 by an Egyptian-Polish mission from Warsaw University. Mahmoud Afifi, head of the ministry’s Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department, said that the newly inaugurated area to be included within the Kom Al-Dikka tourist path, which includes the Roman amphitheater, the bird villa and residential houses from the Hellenistic period until the Islamic era. El-Enany said that the bathing complex is “one of the finest edifices of its time,” and that the bathing halls had welcomed hundreds of bathers at a time. The complex also includes an area for physical exercise, walkways, and facilities such as public latrines. Fresh water was supplied to the complex using huge cisterns and heated by a complex system of heaters and pipes. During the tour, the minister along other parliamentary…
