An Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered in a neighborhood east of Cairo a ceremonial room which dates back at least 3,000 years, belonging to Pharaoh Ramses II.
Experts say the ceremonial room is extremely well preserved.
Ramses II was the third pharaoh of the XIX Dynasty of Egypt, and governed about 66 years, from 1279 BC to 1213 BC.
Image Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
Ramses II is one of the most famous pharaohs to ever rule over Egypt, mostly thanks to a large number of vestiges that remain of his long reign. He is credited with expanding ancient Egypt’s borders to modern-day Syria and Sudan.
Egyptologist Mamdouh al Damaty explained that within the ceremonial room, the Pharaoh sat on a massive throne, placed in a special position at an elevated location.
The archaeologist said the structure was probably used in celebrations and for public gatherings.
Archaeological excavations, carried out in the Matariya neighborhood, experts also discovered the remains of a brick wall, clay pots and stone tablets with hieroglyphics and inscriptions, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities reported.
The discovery has special meaning mostly because the ceremonial room is connected to Ramses II.
He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom. His successors and later Egyptians referred to him as the “Great Ancestor”.
Egypt has given the world a lot to talk about in terms of archaeology and history.
The country’s Ministry of Antiquity frequently announces new archaeological discoveries, in hopes that this will spur interest in the country’s ancient treasures, reviving tourism, which was devastated by political turmoil following the 2011 uprising.
2018 has been a very productive year for Egyptian archaeology.
Egypt announced the discovery of two underground Sphinx statues. The most recent Sphinx was discovered at the Kom Ombo Temple Near Aswan.
Also, the Egyptian Ministry ofAntiqutys revealed earlier this year they had excavated a7,000-year-old city, predating both the Pharaohs and Pyramids.
The Ministry of Antiquities explained that the ancient city “offers a unique opportunity to shed light on the prehistoric communities that lived in the Nile Delta before the reign of the first Pharaonic dynasty.”
The settlement is believed to date back to around 5,000 BCE, which means that it effectively predates the construction of the famous pyramids at Giza by at least 2,500 years.
According to Sarah Parcak, an American archaeologist, Egyptologist, and remote sensing expert, less than one percent of Ancient Egypt has been excavated and explored.
I guess that the land of the Pyramids and Pharaohs holds many secrets that archaeologists will eventually explore in the near future as they race against time and a country that is plagued by political turmoil and modern urbanization.