Upgrading, restoration of Maria area monuments finalized

State Information Service

Farouk Hosni, the Culture Minister, announced the finalizing of the integrated project made by the Culture Ministry all over 10 years to upgrade the monuments of Maria area on the northern coast, west of Alexandria and prepare it for tourists' visits in line with the state-of-the-art techniques at a cost of LE 20 million. In press statements, the minister noted that Maria area dates back to the Byzantine Era and comprises an important collection of monumental sites, including the Romanian port.

For his part, Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, cited that at the top of the port, there is a wine factory given that Maria city was known for producing it in the ancient times. 200 meters to the wine factory, the Byzantine House is located which dates back to the Romanian Era and comprises an open yard surrounded by thick walls and a number of rooms inside which a big jar used to store food was found.