The Associated Press reports that, “Egypt said Tuesday that its archaeologists have unearthed a Ptolemaic-era temple dating back more than 2,000 years, that may have been dedicated to the ancient cat goddess, Bastet.”

The Supreme Council of Antiquities said the temple’s ruins were discovered in the heart of the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, the seat of the dynasty founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C., that ended with the suicide of Cleopatra 300 years later.

The statement said the temple was thought to belong to Queen Berenice, wife of King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C.

It is an exciting find. Mohammed Abdel-Maqsood, the Egyptian archaeologist who led the excavation team, believes “the discovery may be the first trace of the long-sought location of Alexandria’s royal quarter.” We’ve seen elsewhere recently that much of this part of Alexandria is now lying in the harbor.

Zahi Hawas, Egypt’s chief archaeologist, said the temple may have been used in later times as a quarry and that this was evidenced by the large number of missing stone blocks.

This is not unusual, obviously. Many ancient temples ended up as quarries. Those that did not survived only because they were turned into churches or were in remote areas. Alexandria is most definitely not remote. We are further told that this temple “was found in the Kom el-Dekkah neighborhood near the city’s main train station and is also the site of a Roman-era amphitheater and well preserved mosaics.”

Unfortunately, the ancient city lies directly beneath the modern city and maps of ancient Alexandria are incomplete and speculative as a result. Finds such as this, which illuminate the ancient city, are exciting. It leaves you wondering what else is lying under the streets, or in the harbor, waiting to be discovered.

I’m sure I’m far from the only one who would like to see Cleopatra’s Alexandria come to light.