admin Underneath a temple in the ancient ruined city of Taposiris Magna on the Egyptian coast, archaeologists discovered a vast, spectacular tunnel in 2022, a tunnel that experts called a “geometric miracle”.
During the ongoing excavation and discovery of the temple, Kathleen Martinez of the University of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and her colleagues discovered the structure 13 meters (43 ft) below ground.
The 2-meter-high tunnel was dug in a layer of sandstone 1,305 meters (4,281 feet) long. Its design, according to a November 2022 statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, is very similar to the 1,036-meter Eupalinos Tunnel – a 6th-century BC aqueduct on the island Greek Samos.
Often referred to as an engineering wonder, this conduit had a design and construction unmatched at the time. Although the Taposiris Magna Tunnel is no less classy, its engineering is equally impressive. Portions of the Taposiris Magna Tunnel are submerged, although beyond its resemblance to the Eupalinos Tunnel, its purpose is currently unknown.
Martinez, who has worked at Taposiris Magna since 2004 searching for the lost tomb of Cleopatra VII, believes the tunnel could be a promising clue.
In the past, excavations have yielded clues that seem to point to the famous and final queen of Ptolemy. Taposiris Magna was founded circa 280 BC by Ptolemy II, son of the famous general Alexander the Great and one of Cleopatra’s ancestors (she herself ruled from 51 BC until her own death). close to 30 BC).
The temple, according to the team, is dedicated to the god Osiris and his queen, the goddess Isis, with whom Cleopatra had a close relationship.Coins bearing the names and portraits of Cleopatra and Alexander the Great have been found, as well as figurines of Isis.
Greco-Roman burial pits were also found in the temple. Most likely – if found there – Cleopatra and her husband Marc Antoine were buried in similar graves. Researchers aren’t sure if the tunnel could lead to these long-lost tombs, but future work may provide more information.
The next step would be to explore the nearby Mediterranean.Between 320 and 1303 C.E., a series of earthquakes struck the coast, causing part of the temple to collapse and be swallowed up by the waves. Additionally, earlier excavations have revealed a network of tunnels stretching from Lake Marioout to the Mediterranean.
Whether the tombs are found or not, a thorough excavation of these ruins can tell us more about the mysterious ancient city. The tunnel has yielded several treasures: pieces of pottery and a rectangular block of limestone.
As Zahi Hawass, then Minister of Antiquities, said 13 years ago: “If we discover the tomb of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, it will be the most important discovery of the 21st century.If we hadn’t discovered the tombs of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, we would have made important discoveries here, inside and outside.
