The remains of a mudbrick city from the Byzantine period came to light during continued digs at the Ain Al-Sabil site in the Dakhla Oasis, Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry stated on Friday.

Dakhla forms one of seven oases in the western desert, situated in the New Valley Governorate roughly 350 miles from the Nile.

Dr. Diaa Zahran, head of Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, described an orderly urban plan where main north-south roads cross east-west transverse streets.

Open squares and plazas appear throughout the settlement, and a fourth-century CE structure overlooks one of the principal thoroughfares.

Two prominent residences stand out: the home of deacon Tisus from the later fourth century CE and the residence of Tabipus from the early fourth century CE.

Tabipus's dwelling likely served as a private church prior to the basilica's construction.

Excavators also revealed two watchtowers, a sturdy fortress, and additional vaulted houses along the streets both inside and at the settlement edges.

These dwellings contained bread ovens, kitchens, and grain-grinding implements, noted Dr. Mahmoud Masoud, director-general of Dakhla Antiquities and mission leader.

Everyday items recovered include domestic pottery, oil and perfume containers, lamps, and stone tool fragments.

Collections of coins and correspondence recovered

Teams found numerous well-preserved bronze coins bearing Byzantine emperor portraits, Latin text, and Christian emblems, plus gold coins from the reign of Emperor Constantius II (337-361 CE).

A sizable archive of trade records and letters emerged, comprising about 200 pottery shards written in Greek and Coptic.

Supreme Council Secretary-General Dr. Hisham El-Leithy emphasized that the site supplies fresh, detailed insight into daily life in the Dakhla Oasis community during Byzantine times.

The results have helped record architectural, social, and economic features of the region in that era.

Minister Sherif Fathy called the discovery a valuable addition to Egypt's archaeological record, as it underscores the cultural diversity of the oases across successive periods.

New temple sections in Bahariya Oasis yield Psamtik I inscriptions

Further north in the Bahariya Oasis, previously unexamined portions of the temple complex at al-Qasr village were exposed in excavations finished just over two weeks ago.

The structure originates from Egypt's 26th Dynasty, the final native line before the Persian conquest of 525 BCE.

An Egyptian mission working for the Supreme Council uncovered the main hall with its 16 sandstone columns plus linked chambers and shrines.

Dr. El-Leithy reported stone blocks inscribed with the names and titles of King Psamtik I, first pharaoh of the 26th Dynasty, inside the chambers.

Additional hieroglyphs name ancient deities such as Amun-Ra, the sun and creator god, Amunet, the primordial goddess and counterpart to Amun-Ra, and Khonsu, the moon deity.

Inside the temple archaeologists located a stone stele from the 18th Dynasty under King Amenhotep II together with fragments from the 19th Dynasty under King Ramesses II.