Egypt is taking the story of its submerged ancient cities to the United States, with 275 artifacts set to go on display at Chicago’s Field Museum in 2027.
The exhibition, titled Sunken Cities of Egypt – Isis, has been approved by the Egyptian Cabinet and will run from February 20 to September 19, 2027.
Ancient Cities Beneath the Mediterranean
The exhibition will focus on archaeological discoveries linked to Egypt’s ancient submerged coastal settlements, including Canopus and Thonis-Heracleion.
These cities once flourished near the Nile Delta before large sections disappeared beneath the Mediterranean over centuries. Underwater excavations later uncovered temples, statues, religious objects and other artifacts that revealed how closely Egyptian and Greek cultures interacted in the region.
275 Artifacts Heading to Chicago
According to the Egyptian Cabinet, the exhibition will feature 275 archaeological pieces, bringing together objects recovered from underwater sites and related collections.
The selection is expected to include works of different sizes and materials rather than only monumental statues, giving visitors a wider look at religion, daily life and cultural exchange in Egypt’s ancient port cities.
The Field Museum exhibition is part of Egypt’s broader effort to promote its ancient heritage internationally and increase the presence of Egyptian antiquities at major museums around the world.
Isis, Cleopatra and a Meeting of Civilizations
The wider touring exhibition concept explores the period when Egyptian and Greek traditions increasingly overlapped along the Mediterranean coast.
Material connected to figures including Isis, Aphrodite and Cleopatra helps tell the story of how religion, trade and identity developed in cities that served as major gateways into ancient Egypt. Underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio’s excavations off Alexandria have played a major role in bringing these sites back into public view.
The exhibition is therefore about more than lost cities. It also examines how different cultures met, influenced one another and created shared traditions in one of the ancient Mediterranean’s most important regions.
The Field Museum Will Host the Exhibition in 2027
Chicago’s Field Museum will host the exhibition for seven months, from late February through mid-September 2027.
The museum is one of the United States’ best-known natural history institutions and already holds Egyptian material in its permanent collections, making it a significant international setting for the new exhibition.
The official schedule excludes the additional time required for packing, transport and shipping of the artifacts between Egypt and the United States.
Egypt’s Underwater Heritage Reaches a New Audience
Egypt’s submerged archaeological sites have become one of the most fascinating areas of the country’s heritage in recent decades.
Discoveries beneath the waters near Alexandria have revealed sections of ancient cities that had remained hidden for centuries, preserving statues, religious objects and architectural remains that provide a different perspective on Egyptian history.
By bringing 275 of those artifacts to Chicago, Sunken Cities of Egypt – Isis will give international audiences the chance to experience that history without diving beneath the Mediterranean themselves.
For Egypt, the exhibition also represents another opportunity to showcase a part of its ancient past that is very different from the pyramids and tombs most commonly associated with the country.
When the exhibition opens at the Field Museum in February 2027, Chicago visitors will be stepping into the story of cities that disappeared beneath the sea—and the extraordinary discoveries that brought them back to light.
