Archaeologists have discovered a more than 3,000-year-old Pharaoh city in Egypt. The city near the tourist town of Luxor had been buried unseen under a thick layer of sand all that time. Experts call the city the greatest find since Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in the early twentieth century.
The city was built more than 3,400 years ago during the reign of Amenhotep III, one of the most powerful Egyptian pharaohs, according to the archelogists.
Archaeologist Zahi Hawass’ team initially began the search for a mortuary temple in September. After a few weeks, however, they found bricks everywhere pointing in the direction of a larger structure.
Within weeks, the archeologists excavated entire neighborhoods and a bakery was also discovered. Some houses are up to three meters high and are still in good condition. In the houses they found rooms filled with everyday objects. Rings, scarabs, colored pottery vessels and seals were also found.
The discovery was made near the Valley of the Kings, a popular tourist destination included on the World Heritage List. The pharaoh city is located about 500 kilometers south of the capital Cairo.
Archaeologists have previously searched for city of Amenhotep III
According to Hawass, several archeologist teams have been trying in vain to locate the city of Amenhotep III in recent years.
Connoisseurs of the Age of Amenhotep III say the excavation has yielded much knowledge for years to come. For example, a large number of ovens were found that were used to make glass and pots. “Just locating those production centers gives us more details of how the people lived under a powerful and wealthy ruler like Amenhotep III,” said Betsy Bryan of the American John Hopkins University news agency. Reuters.
Amenhotep III’s empire encompassed an area stretching from the Euphrates River to Sudan. In power for nearly four decades, he was known as someone who loved impressive monuments. The Colossi of Memnon, two large statues near Luxor, portray him and his wife.
Egypt moved 22 more mummies of rulers from the Egypt Museum in Cairo to a new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization last week. It also included the body of Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye.
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