The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement posted on its Facebook account that the Dominican-Egyptian archaeological mission of the University of San Domingo headed by Kathleen Martins, succeeded in uncovering a tunnel carved in the rock at a depth of about 13 meters below the surface of the earth, during the archaeological excavation of the mission in the area of the Temple of Taposiris. Magna, meaning “the tomb of Osiris the Great”, west of Alexandria.
The ministry’s statement quoted the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, as saying that the tunnel is about 1,305 meters long and about two meters high. Two heads made of alabaster were found near the temple, one of which is for a person from the Ptolemaic era, and the other is likely to be a statue of Abu The horror.
Kathleen Martins explained that preliminary studies indicate that the architectural design of the discovered tunnel is very similar to the design of the Yubilinos Tunnel in Greece, but it is longer than it, describing it as an “engineering miracle.”
She added that during the excavations and the archaeological survey of the tunnel, a part of the tunnel was discovered submerged under the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. A number of pottery pots and ceramic jars were also found under the mud sediments, in addition to a rectangular block of limestone. Archaeological evidence that there is a part of the foundations of the temple of Taposiris Magna submerged under water, which the mission is currently working to uncover.
It is noteworthy that according to scientific sources, the Egyptian coast was hit by at least 23 earthquakes between the years 320 and 1303 AD, which led to the collapse of part of the Temple of Taposiris Magna and its sinking under the waves.
It is worth noting that during the previous excavation seasons, the mission was able to find many important artifacts inside the temple, including coins bearing the images and names of Queen Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, and a number of headless statues, and statues of the goddess Isis, in addition to various inscriptions and busts. shapes and sizes.
It also discovered a network of tunnels extending from King Marriott Lake to the Mediterranean, 16 burials in rock-carved tombs that were commonly used in the Greek and Roman periods, in addition to a number of mummies that highlight the features of the mummification process during the Greek and Roman periods.
According to foreign press reports, Martinez said that at the time the tunnel was built, the population of Taposiris was between 15,000 and 20,000, noting that the tunnel was built under a temple honoring Osiris, an ancient Egyptian god of the underworld, and Isis, an Egyptian goddess who was the wife of Osiris.
According to foreign media reports, a tunnel carved into the rock was discovered as an “engineering miracle” at a depth of 43 feet under an ancient temple that may lead to a long-lost burial site for the last pharaoh to rule Egypt, Cleopatra, and her lover Mark Antony.
Archaeologists working on a site in Egypt believe they found the tunnel leading to Cleopatra’s tomb.
- Theories suggest that she was buried under the temple of Taposiris Magna near the ancient capital of Alexandria.
- The tunnel is carved through layers of rock and extends over 4,800 feet and is 6 feet high.
- Martinez said the finding of the ancient queen’s tomb would be “the most important discovery of the 21st century”.
“If there is a 1% chance of burying the last Egyptian queen there, it is my duty to look for it,” Martinez told Heritage Key.
“This is the first time that any archaeologist has found underground tunnels and passages,” she added [و] inside the temple walls, so we changed what they knew about geometry forever.”
The archaeologist believes that after Mark Antony killed himself after his defeat by Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian, Cleopatra made elaborate plans for both of them to be buried there, in echoes of the legend of Isis and Osiris.
Martinez, who has been working at the Temple of Taposiris Magna for more than 15 years, told National Geographic: “Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt. She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to reenact the myth of Isis and Osiris,” noting that The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it grants immortality.
It is believed that after their death, the gods allowed Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form of existence, so that they could have eternal life together.
Two years ago, the team reported the discovery of the mummies of two high-ranking ancient Egyptians, one male and one female, and the mummies remained undisturbed for 2,000 years, but in poor condition in terms of preservation because water had seeped into the tomb, but it was originally covered with gold leaf. , a luxury reserved only for elite members of society, which suggests them personally interacted with Cleopatra.
Queen Cleopatra
- She was the last in a long line of Ptolemaic Egypt rulers, who are descended from the Greek general Alexander the Great.
- She ruled from 51 BC to 30 BC, until the day of her death.
- Cleopatra became Queen of Egypt and her title “Cleopatra VII”, after the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, and her brother became King Ptolemy XIII at the same time.
- In order to establish herself and Antony as rulers in the minds of the Egyptian people, she also worked hard to associate themselves with the myth of Isis and Osiris.
- For support among the ancient Egyptians, Cleopatra was also declared the daughter of Ra, the Egyptian sun god.
- During her lifetime, which spanned from 69 BC to 30 BC, Cleopatra was known as a seductress and as a captivating figure.
- She was famous for using her magic to seduce Julius Caesar, first to cement Egypt’s alliance with Rome, and then to seduce another man in command, Mark Antony.
Marc Anthony
Antony married another woman, Octavia, to mend a strained alliance with her brother, Governor Octavian.
- Antony later left his new wife for Cleopatra, according to the History Channel, and the two lovers subsequently married, in violation of Roman law forbidding Romans from marrying foreigners.
- Octavian declared war on Cleopatra and Antony, defeating them both.
Death of Cleopatra and Antony
- Cleopatra took refuge in the shrine she ordered for herself and her disappearance led to the belief that she had killed herself.
- Antony died in Cleopatra’s arms after fatally stabbing himself because he believed his queen had killed herself.
- Cleopatra killed herself shortly after her lover died of his wounds.
- Octavian returned to Italy where he became the first emperor of Rome, while Antony and Cleopatra were buried somewhere in Egypt.
Cleopatra and the serpent
- Cleopatra reportedly allowed a venomous snake to bite her, which is questionable.
- Ancient accounts tell of a snake that was hidden inside a basket of figs brought from the countryside and used by the queen to commit suicide on August 12, 30 BC, as well as killing two of her servants.
- Academics dismissed the popular view, saying that venomous snakes in Egypt, such as cobras and vipers, were too big to infiltrate the palace.
Although it is believed that the two lovers’ graves could be somewhere across the newly discovered tunnel, some doubts have been raised about the theory that Cleopatra and Antony were buried in the temple of Taposiris Magna.
Other experts believe that Cleopatra was hastily buried in Alexandria itself, the city from which she ruled Egypt until her death in 30 BC, at the age of 39.
But because Cleopatra and Antony worked so hard to connect themselves with the myth of Isis and Osiris, the temple of Taposiris Magna must be closely related to their life and death, others say.
According to the myth of Isis and Osiris:
- Osiris was killed, and pieces were scattered throughout Egypt.
- After finding all the pieces and making her husband whole again, Isis was able to revive him for some time.
- Martinez believes that Taposiris Magna was closely related to legend because the name means “tomb of Osiris.”
- Perhaps it was one of the places where his body was scattered in the story.
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