In April 2019, the archaeological mission of the
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities led by
Mostafa Waziri uncovered a tomb of a nobleman called Toutou and his wife at al-Dayabat archaeological site dating back to the
Ptolemaic Kingdom. The tomb contained two tiny rooms with two
limestone sarcophagi as well as a well-preserved
mummy and
mummified animals (including falcons, eagles, cats, dogs and shrews) were also revealed in the tomb. In January 2026, archaeologists announced the discovery of a
Byzantine-era monastic complex at Al-Qarya bi-Al-Duweir in the Tema district. The Egyptian archaeological mission, conducted by the
Supreme Council of Antiquities, uncovered the foundations of multiple mudbrick buildings that formed a monastic residential settlement dating to the Byzantine period. The remains include rectangular halls, cells believed to have served as monks’ living and worship spaces, and plastered walls with niches, while courtyards and small circular structures likely functioned as communal areas. Evidence of a central church with a nave, choir and sanctuary suggests organized religious life, and ancillary features such as red-brick and limestone basins indicate water storage or auxiliary functions. Artefacts recovered at the site included storage
amphorae and
Coptic-inscribed
ostraca. ==Municipal divisions==