<p>Russian experts have found several rifles and pistols dating back to the 18th century in the depths of the Mediterranean near the port of Alexandria, Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damati said.<br /><br />The discovery was made during an underwater search for sunken ships in an area north of Pharos island in Anfushi Bay.<br /><br />Preliminary examination of the firearms identified their provenance as a ship of the French military campaign under Napoleon Bonaparte that was defeated in May 1798 by a British fleet at the western entrance to the port of Alexandria.<br /><br />The discovery opens the way to more extensive studies and underwater exploration, al-Damati said.<br /><br />The arms recovered will be restored to repair the damage caused to them by time and the seawater, the director general of underwater archaeology said.<br /><br />In June 1999, Egyptian and French scientists launched a large-scale operation to recover the remains of Napoleon's fleet, sunk in 1798 in Aboukir Bay, a few kilometers east of the port of Alexandria.<br /><br />Though the history of the naval battle of Aboukir Bay was perfectly documented, the whereabouts of the sunken French ships remained unknown for 200 years, until a team of underwater researchers found them in 1998.</p>
<p>Russian experts have found several rifles and pistols dating back to the 18th century in the depths of the Mediterranean near the port of Alexandria, Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damati said.<br /><br />The discovery was made during an underwater search for sunken ships in an area north of Pharos island in Anfushi Bay.<br /><br />Preliminary examination of the firearms identified their provenance as a ship of the French military campaign under Napoleon Bonaparte that was defeated in May 1798 by a British fleet at the western entrance to the port of Alexandria.<br /><br />The discovery opens the way to more extensive studies and underwater exploration, al-Damati said.<br /><br />The arms recovered will be restored to repair the damage caused to them by time and the seawater, the director general of underwater archaeology said.<br /><br />In June 1999, Egyptian and French scientists launched a large-scale operation to recover the remains of Napoleon's fleet, sunk in 1798 in Aboukir Bay, a few kilometers east of the port of Alexandria.<br /><br />Though the history of the naval battle of Aboukir Bay was perfectly documented, the whereabouts of the sunken French ships remained unknown for 200 years, until a team of underwater researchers found them in 1998.</p>