Alexandria University

 In 1994, the French Centre for Alexandrian Studies (CEAlex) started the first organized underwater archaeological excavation in Egypt, studying the submerged remains of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. At the same time, the American Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) started the first underwater archaeological survey along the Egyptian Red Sea coast, which lead to the discovery of an 18th century shipwreck south of Hurghada. Since then, Egypt's underwater cultural heritage has drawn increasing local and international attention. A number of European and American institutions have carried out archaeological projects under Egyptian waters and along its coasts. Accordingly, several new archaeological sites were discovered, thousands of artifacts were excavated, and it became evident that Egypt has unique potentials for maritime and underwater archaeological exploration and research. However, with the discovery of extensive coastal and underwater archaeological sites, Egypt started facing issues and problems related to the management of its maritime and underwater cultural heritage; such as in-situ preservation and public presentation of coastal and underwater archaeological sites. The importance of such issues to both the local and international communities urged the UNESCO in 1997 in cooperation with the Alexandria University (AU) and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) to hold in Alexandria an international conference on Underwater Archaeology and Coastal Management

http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/papers2/alex.htm

 The conference was followed by a series of seminars and workshops; the most recent was the International Workshop for Studying the Establishment of an Underwater Museum in Alexandria, which took place in July 2006. The 1997 conference has recognized the pressing need for providing education at different levels in aspects of maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage in Egypt, therefore, amongst its recommendations was that the Alexandria University should consider developing specialized courses at postgraduate and undergraduate levels in underwater archaeology, coastal zone management and related disciplines; and that it should also consider open education in these disciplines for the public at large. Moreover, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (article 21) emphasizes that training in underwater archaeology should be internationally promoted and public awareness should be raised concerning the value and significance of the underwater cultural heritage. However, neither the AU, nor any other academic institution in Egypt or the Arab World offers education or training, at any level, in aspects of maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage. Thus, Egypt relies, almost entirely, for the study of its maritime and underwater cultural heritage on the limited work carried out by foreign archaeological missions. In other words, the Egyptian contribution to the exploration, preservation and presentation of the country's maritime and underwater archaeological resources is quite limited. And although in 1996 the SCA established a Department for Underwater Antiquities (DUA), its mission has been mostly related to monitoring and organizing underwater archaeological projects carried out by foreign missions in Egypt. Moreover, the lack of specialized and public education in the field of maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage has contributed to the aggravation of problems such as the extensive reclamation of coastal archaeological sites along the Egyptian costs and the looting of underwater sites by sport and commercial divers. Additionally, in a country like Egypt, cultural heritage is not only an important element in its history, but also has various economic and social aspects; tourism being the most obvious as one the country's major resources for national income. Therefore, providing education and training in different aspects of maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage will not only contribute to the protection and preservation of that heritage, but will also contribute significantly to the public awareness, appreciation and enjoyment of the educational and recreational benefits of non-intrusive access to maritime and underwater sites.