A New discovery in North Sinai including imported amphorae from Rhodes Island

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of Antiquities announced the discovery of an industrial zone include a large number of specialised workshops in making pottery and cooper dated back to the Graeco-Roman era in Tel Abou Sayfi known as Roman Sila where the Roman fort build by Emperor Maximinus Thrax Ca. 200 AD, east of Suez canal and to the south of Qantra in North Sinai.

The Egyptian mission working in the area managed to discover a number of administrative buildings and warehouses as well as workers houses and a number of amphorae imported from Rhodes Island.

The discovery discloses the links between Egypt and the different Mediterranean ports in foreign trade showing the import and export goods.

Dr. Mohamed Abd El Maqsoud, the director of the Egyptian mission said that the mission discovered a limestone block with bears a Roman inscription explains details of the military history in the roman time such as the disposition of the roman army inside the fortress as well as a number of Bronze coins and pottery statues of God Bes

The excavation work started in the site since 1911 by the Egyptian Antiquities authority headed by Mohamed Shaban. In 1914, a French team working for the Suez Canal Company started excavations. During the Israeli occupation, Ben Goreon University mission did some work on the site and since the site was used as a military base so a large part was destroyed. When the SCA was doing routine check in the area for the digging of El Salam Canal between 1994 and 2000, they also did excavations for few seasons making major discoveries.   

Exclusive footage: After cancelling the date few times, Balloon flights resumed this morning.

Dr. Ezzat Saad, Governor of Luxor, was one of the first passengers of the 6 balloons which were granted permission to fly again in the sky of Luxor after the tragic accident on February 26^th. 

The date of resuming the balloon flights was set for the 1^st of April then it was changed few times till last week for different reasons. Unlike other media sources, Luxor Times publishes the accurate news when they happen.

The photographs and video of the first flight of the hot air balloon below.

On the early morning of 21^st of April 2013.

  

A new discovery: 4500 years-old port, 40 papyri and 30 caves sealed by King Khufu’s Royal Cartouche

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim announced the discovery of the oldest ports in history dated back to King Khufu’s time at Wadi El Jerf, located on the red sea coast to the South of the city of Suez, about 190 kilo meters.

The 4500 years old port was discovered by a French-Egyptian team headed by Pierre Tallet as well as the discovery of 40 papyri reveals details of the daily like of ancient Egyptian, some of them dated to the year 27 of King Khufu’s reign.

The Minister explained that the Suez area was one of the most important ports in ancient Egypt as all the expeditions to transfer copper and mineral from Sinai to the valley used to start from there.  He also added that the mission successfully discovered a group of stone moorings showing the robes marks which were used for docking the ships in the marina of 180 x 120 meters into the Red Sea water.

The newly discovered papyri is considered of the oldest to be found so far beside the importance to reveal more information and details of the daily like as they include monthly reports record the number of workers in the port. The papyri were transferred to the Suez museum for documentation and further studies.

Mr. Adel Hussein, The head of the Egyptian Antiquities department, said that the mission discovered the ruins of the workers homes which give more importance to the site as well as the 30 caves were found and the stone blocks that were used to block the caves entrances. The blocks have the royal cartouche of King Khufu in red ink.