Ancient Coptic City Discovered in Egypt’s Western Desert
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Fatima Saif
- . July 29, 2025
- . Update: July 29, 2025 4:19 pm
A combination of major archaeological discoveries in Egypt’s Western Desert has provided evidence of a city that sits at the heart of a very distinct shift in life, from pagan to Christian.
A current expedition led by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities discovered the city of Ain el-Kharab, within the Islamic and Coptic antiquities zone of Kharga Oasis in the New Valley. The archaeological mission revealed an extensive main residential city, dating back to when change was sweeping ancient Egyptian life in a particular way, from paganism to Christianity.
A Look into Egypt’s Changing Faith
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Sherif Fathy, described the discovery as a “huge representative of Egypt’s layers and diversity,” and noted, “Makings such as this can help us understand how well Egypt transitioned from paganism to Christianity. However, we can see in our past that culture tolerates and coexists.” He commended the work of local teams on excavating the site; mechanisms used by Egyptian teams that ensure Egypt can compete, and present itself on the map of cultural tourism and global thought and research.
Glimpses of Everyday Life and Worship
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, General Secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the site of Kharga Oasis has been a religious and social center for some time. The recently uncovered buildings included mudbrick houses, many with plastered walls, storage structures, and ovens used in daily life. Archaeologists also recovered pottery, glass, ostraca, stone tools, and human burial remains, which can help to reconstruct the past and provide good evidence of who the inhabitants were, what they did, and how they interacted with their environment. One of the most remarkable pieces found was a wall painting depicting Jesus Christ as he heals the sick. This is concrete evidence of early Christian worship.
Churches at the Center of the Community
Dr. Seham Ismail, Director General of Kharga Antiquities and head of the mission, reported that they discovered two ancient churches. The first church was built in a basilica-style with mudbrick. It has a large central hall, two side aisles, and a part to the south with various service rooms attached to it.
The other church is smaller but has a rectangular shape with seven columns surrounding it. Some of its walls were inscribed with Coptic letters, and the service area was found next to the western side.
