Intact 1,800-Year-Old City Discovered Under Luxor - Look at These Stunning Photographs
Remnants of an ancient city dating back to the Roman Empire have been unearthed in the Egyptian city of Luxor.
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery in a news release Tuesday.
Images of the site reveal the remains of a residential community.
Egyptian archaeologists uncover 'complete' #Roman city in #Luxor.https://t.co/66uPAhr1u5 #RomanMiddleEast #Egypt #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology pic.twitter.com/zFPFAOQ5E0
— Roman Middle East (@RomanMiddleEast) January 24, 2023
Authorities are describing the unearthed city as the oldest remaining structures in this area of Luxor.
Mostafa Waziri of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities called the area the “most important and oldest residential city on the eastern mainland in Luxor Governorate,” according to the news release, as translated by Google.
Modern-day Luxor contains the ruins of Thebes, an ancient Egyptian city that dates back thousands of years, according to Britannica.
Waziri said the newly found structures are believed to date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, according to Art News.
The Egyptian archaeological mission, headed by the SCA’s Secretary-General, uncovered a Roman residential settlement at Beit Yassa Andraos area, adjacent to the #Luxor Temple on the eastern bank. pic.twitter.com/bGcbHJj0Ae
— Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (@TourismandAntiq) January 26, 2023
Artifacts such as grinding tools, pottery and Roman coins have been discovered at the scene of the settlement, which is being described as a city, according to the news release.
The community featured "pigeon towers" where birds were kept for eventual consumption, the release said.
Egyptian archaeologists discover a 1,800-year-old "complete residential city from the Roman-era" in the heart of the southern city of Luxorhttps://t.co/WfG8Y258K4
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 25, 2023
The site may have contained housing for a Roman military camp during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, Susanna McFadden, a professor of art history at the University of Hong Kong, told Live Science.
"It stands to reason that a residential area servicing the camp would have grown up outside the walls," McFadden said.
Waziri displayed a pottery piece from the dig site in a video that showed its considerable size.
الكشف عن أول مدينة سكنية كاملة بشرق الأقصر .
The discovery of the first complete residential city in eastern Luxor.#Egypte #Tweets #Luxor #tourism #Archaeology #heritage #StayTuned #explore #مصر pic.twitter.com/gzldbWtcPM— Dr Mostafa waziry (@mostafa_waziri) January 24, 2023
Luxor has an ancient history dating back to Egypt's pharaonic period as well as the times of Greek and Roman rule over Egypt.
Roman Egypt -- a province considered the breadbasket of the Roman Empire -- was also a center of early Christianity, according to National Geographic.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
