Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Havas has announced that the city of "Ethan" has been found under the sands.
Remains of the Egyptian "Golden City" // Photo: AFP
A rare discovery in Egypt: The renowned archaeologist and Egyptologist Zahi Havas revealed today (Friday) that an excavation near the city of Luxor found a site associated with the ancient city of Athens, which was the capital of the Egyptian kingdom about 3,000 years ago.
The city served as a capital for Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Pharaoh Tut Anach Amun and was called the "Golden City" due to the great wealth of its inhabitants and rulers.
The team of archaeologists working at the site announced that this was "the second most important discovery in the history of Egypt, after the discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tut Anach Amun."
Remains of buildings, mud bricks with the stamp of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, scarabs, colorful urns typical of the period and many pieces of jewelry were found at the site.
Hawass, who previously served as Egypt's minister of antiquities and was known as a brilliant but controversial figure, said: "Many teams of archaeologists have attempted to find the lost city, but so far have not succeeded. We hope to find many tombs containing ancient Egyptian cultural treasures."
These things refer to a row of tombs that were exposed at the site and to which rock-hewn steps led.
Archaeologists hope the tombs remain intact after the city was buried in the sands and provide a rare glimpse into life in Egypt about 3,000 years ago.