American and Polish archaeologists discovered this figurine in Berenice, an ancient port city in the southeast, he said.
The 71-centimeter statuette, dating from the Roman era, represents Buddha with a cloak, devoid of his right limbs, and with a halo surrounding his head, in reference to the sun’s rays, according to the photo released by the ministry.
Egypt was then “at the heart of the trade route that linked the Roman Empire with many regions of the ancient world,” explained Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The ships arrived mainly from India, laden with spices, jewellery, textiles or ivory.
Egypt regularly announces archaeological discoveries, but some experts often consider them more of a tourism promotion tool than of historical interest.
The country is trying to recover its tourism sector, which suffered greatly from the political instability after the 2011 revolution, then from the covid-19 health crisis and finally from the war between Ukraine and Russia, two countries that supply tourists to Egypt.