Saturday, April 25, 2009

More re Taposiris Magna

Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine Al-Aref)

Archaeological traces found at Taposiris Magna west of Alexandria may indicate the tomb of one of the most famous couples in history, Queen Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, reports Nevine El-Aref

A joint Egyptian and Dominican Republic archaeological mission working at Taposiris Magna, an area of great archaeological importance on the Mediterranean coast west of Alexandria and site of a temple dedicated to the god of prosperity, Osiris, and a number of Graeco- Roman catacombs, has discovered several Ptolemaic objects dating back to the reign of the famous Queen Cleopatra.

The team was searching the site in the hope of locating the tomb of Cleopatra VII and her lover Mark Anthony. Excavation work in the area began two years ago, as it was believed that the famous couple had dug their tomb in an area some distance from Alexandria in order to be out of reach of their enemies.

Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and head of the archeological team, said the find fuelled the belief that early historians were able to describe the tomb of Alexander the Great (who ruled Egypt 332-323 BC) but made no mention of a name or a description of a tomb for either Cleopatra or Mark Anthony.


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