Between public square and colonnaded street: functionality and cultural significance of the urban layout of Byzantine Philoxenite, Egypt

The urban layout of Byzantine Philoxenite diverges from the traditional axial planning seen in the Eastern Mediterranean. Unlike many Late Antique cities centered on a broad, colonnaded street, Philoxenite’s focal point was a large public square measuring approximately 1600 m². This unique spatial arrangement was confirmed through geophysical surveys conducted in 2024 as part of the Marea Archaeological Project. Spatial analyses, including access, connectivity, and visibility studies, reveal that the square functioned as the primary integrative element of the city, surpassing the broad street in accessibility and control over urban movement. The study highlights the central square’s significance in the lived experience of the city’s inhabitants and visitors, contrasting Philoxenite’s layout with other regional centers such as Alexandria, Abu Mena, and Taposiris Magna. The findings challenge the notion that public squares in Late Antique Egypt played a secondary role in urban planning, contributing to broader discussions on the evolution of urban space in the final centuries of the Byzantine Empire before the Islamic conquest.