The ruins of the Queen Cleopatra's palace, which remain submerged under 20 feet of water off Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea, is one of Egypt's most prized and mysterious palaces, containing numerous priceless relics, that have never been examined to this day.
However, this might change if Jacques Rougerie, an architect and oceanographer from France, gets the funding he needs to establish an underwater museum.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, the Egyptian government, with the help of Rougerie, is developing plans to boost the tourism industry by creating an underwater museum that will display more than 2,500 artifacts.
The idea of the museum first came to life in the '70s. Unfortunately however, due to lack of funds, the underwater museum never came to life.
Mohamed Abdel-Maguid, the head of the Department of Underwater Activities of the Ministry of Antiquities, stated that a Chinese venture capital firm was interested in the project.
“The Chinese are coming with a lot of force," Abdel Maguid said, adding that, "part of the feasibility study would be how to finance the museum.”
Though the idea of an underwater museum is relatively old, it remains an exciting concept in the Middle East, especially in a country where the tourism industry is in need of a boost.
According to Inverse, Rougerie plans to design fiberglass shuttles that will transport tourists 20 feet below the water, enabling them to witness untouched ancient Egyptian history.