MYSTERY TUNNEL FOUND BELOW AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE THAT MAY LEAD TO CLEOPATRA’S TOMB

The entrance to the long-lost tomb of Cleopatra may have been discovered down a tunnel in Egypt.

Wed 09 November 2022:

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a rock tunnel beneath the Taposiris Magna Temple at Taposiris Magna, an ancient settlement west of Alexandria. The tunnel is dug into the rock at a depth of around 13 meters below ground and contains many artifacts such as money, headless statues, and deity figurines.

The temple of Taposiris Magna is near the ancient Egyptian capital of Alexandria.

The unearthed tunnel was regarded as a “geometric miracle” by the Egyptian Dominican archaeological delegation of the University of San Domingo, led by Dr Kathleen Martinez. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the tunnel is 1,305 meters long and around 2 meters high.

The Jubilinos Tunnel in Greece is similar to this tunnel’s architectural style, according to Dr. Martinez, but this one is longer. The Taposiris Magna temple’s archaeology is complicated, though, as some of it is submerged beneath the Mediterranean Sea and it has seen multiple earthquakes over the years.

In an interview, Martinez expressed her conviction that the tunnel might lead to the tomb of Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen, and Mark Antony, her lover. Martinez acknowledged that the likelihood of this happening is 1%, but insisted that it would still be “the most important discovery” of the century.

Cleopatra and Mark Antony had died after losing a battle in Greece to Octavian, Caesar’s heir who at the time was fighting to gain control of the Roman empire. Some believe that the two killed themselves but their tombs were never found.

“Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt”, said Martinez, in an interview with National Geographic. She added that the Egyptian queen wanted this to reenact the legend of Isis and Osiris, “The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it grants immortality.”

The tunnel sits about 43 feet underneath Egypt’s ancient Taposiris Magna Temple, or ‘Great tomb of Osiris, located outside ancient Egypt’s capital Alexandria (Provider: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

So that after their deaths, “the gods would allow Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form of existence, so they would have eternal life together,” said Martinez. Notably, the temple was built in honour of the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld, Osiris and his wife Egyptian goddess Isis.

Does this tunnel lead to Cleopatra’s tomb? (Provider: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities).

The tunnel, according to Live Science, was built during the Ptolemaic period, which lasted from 304 BC to 30 BC and was ruled by Egyptian rulers who were descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals.

The crew has discovered a number of significant artifacts during earlier excavation seasons, including coins with the names and likenesses of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. The team also discovered a number of headless statues, statues of the goddess Isis, as well as a number of ceramic containers in the mud sediment in an area that was buried underwater.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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