A pure chance find!
Experts in Egypt report the second most important discovery since 1922. They did not even look for it.
Luxor - The archaeologists were actually looking for the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Instead, they found a 3,000 year old city in Luxor, Egypt.
It is the largest ancient city ever found in Egypt, said the head of the mission, Sahi Hauass, in a statement.
Egypt: Experts excited about chance find
"The discovery of this lost city is the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun," said Professor of Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University in the USA, Betsy Bryan.
The Pharaoh's tomb was discovered in 1922.
According to Bryan, the current find gives "a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at the time when the empire was richest".
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04/09/2021, Egypt, Luxor: General view of the 3000 year old ruins of the "lost city" discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in what is now Luxor.
The find is considered the most important since Tutankhamun's grave in 1922.
© STR / dpa
The "lost golden city" is around 3000 years old and comes from the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, said the Egyptologist Sahi Hawass on Thursday.
Egypt: Many had searched in vain for the city
"Many foreign missions have looked for this city and never found it," said Hawass.
The excavation team began uncovering the remains of the city in the desert near Luxor in September 2020.
According to the team, the city is well preserved and has almost complete walls and rooms with everyday objects.
So far, several administrative and residential areas have been exposed.
Besides jewelry, colorful ceramic vessels and scarab beetle amulets, the researchers also discovered a bakery with ovens and storage vessels.
The city "will give us a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at the time when the empire was richest," said Bryan of Johns Hopkins University.
According to the researchers, the city was also used by Amenhotep's successors, Tutankhamun and Ay.
Pharaoh Amenhotep III
ruled until his death around 1354 BC.
Around an empire that stretched from the river Euphrates in what is now Iraq and Syria to Sudan.
He ruled for nearly four decades.
Impressive structures were erected under his rule, including the Colossi of Memnon, which depict him and his wife.
(dpa / AFP)