Officials in Egypt say divers will -- for the first time -- be allowed to visit newly-discovered underwater ruins in Alexandria.

From next month, they'll be able to see one of the wonders of the ancient world, the Pharos Lighthouse, which was discovered four years ago by marine archaeologists.

Antiquities officials say permission to visit other areas will follow, such as the submerged royal quarters where Queen Cleopatra was thought to have had a palace.

The A BBC correspondent in Egypt says the moves are part of efforts to revive Alexandria, a once glorious city which -- she says -- has declined into a shabby modern town.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service