Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered an ancient hidden tunnel under a temple they hope leads to the long-lost tomb of Queen Cleopatra.
The massive tunnel was discovered by an Egyptian-Dominican archaeological research team from the University of Santo Domingo in the area of the Temple of Tapozeris Magna, just west of Alexandria, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said last week.
The tunnel is about 40 feet underground, is about 6.5 feet high from ceiling to floor, and runs nearly a mile long at 4,281 feet, according to Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Archeology Council.
The tunnel is approximately 6.5 feet high from ceiling to floor and runs at 4,281 feet for almost a mile. Ministry of Tourism and Antiques
A preliminary study of the tunnel suggests that it is similar in design to the Jubilinos Tunnel in Greece, but longer. Ministry of Tourism and Antiques
A preliminary study of the tunnel suggests that it is similar in design to the Jubilinos Tunnel in Greece, but longer.
Previous excavations at the temple site have resulted in the discovery of coins bearing the names of Queen Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, as well as statues of the Egyptian goddess Isis, the ministry said.
Some believe the tunnel could lead to the undiscovered tomb of Cleopatra, who died between 69 B.C.
“The search for her burial site has largely relied over time on accounts in classical sources, e.g. B. Plutarch, Cassius Dio, Claire Gilmour, a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology and archeology at Bristol University, Newsweek said.
“And modern investigations have mostly moved between Alexandria as the capital at the time of Cleopatra VII (including underwater investigations, since part of the city is submerged) and Taposiris Magna, which could have been chosen for its connections to the goddess Isis, with whom Cleopatra was intimate connected to himself,” Gilmour said.
Cleopatra is perhaps best known for her ill-fated romance with Roman politician and general Mark Antony, the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s tragedy Antony and Cleopatra.
A lost tunnel that may lead to an ancient Egyptian Cleopatra tomb has been discovered by an Egyptian-Dominican archaeological research team. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Cleopatra, who died between 69 B.C. and 30 B.C. was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt before the Roman Empire took over. Ministry of Tourism and Antiques
It is believed that she committed suicide in Alexandria to avoid being paraded through Rome as a prize of war.
Roland Enmarch, lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, told Newsweek that the Taposiris Magna, where the tunnel was discovered, was an important religious site, dating back to the 3rd century BC. about 30 miles west of Alexandria.
“The recently announced giant underground tunnel is an intriguing discovery, although its exact function has yet to be elucidated,” Enmarch told the magazine. “It would be exciting but also quite surprising if the famous Queen Cleopatra were buried in Taposiris Magna.”
Cleopatra is perhaps best known for her association with Roman politician and general Mark Antony. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquita
Enmarch said that Cleopatra’s family had already built their tombs in Alexandria and she was probably hiding there when she took her own life.
“The ancient sources also tell us that she asked to be buried next to Mark Anthony and that Octavian granted her wish,” Enmarch said. The implication is that they were buried in the tomb that Cleopatra had built for them in Alexandria.”