Newly Discovered, Ancient Egyptian Royal Site at Mount Sinai

The kingdom is located near the Eastern Gate of Egypt, which was built using mud bricks to accommodate the ancient Egyptian army, and perhaps even the royal family, during the reign of Thutmose III (1479 to 1425 BC).

Arkeonews reported, Wednesday (8/5/2024), this royal artifact is possibly a legacy of Pharaoh Thutmose the Great. He is believed to have ruled from 1479 BC until his death at the age of 56 in 1425 BC. He is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history, who helped the Egyptian Empire grow to its full potential through a series of successful campaigns.

Military expeditions in ancient times were always carried out by kings ancient egypt especially to the eastern Mediterranean at that time. The Sinai Desert became one of the regular routes for Egyptian troops to reach this area. The site was clearly strategically important for housing and supplying troops as they traveled through the Sinai on their way to military campaigns.

“It is very likely that this building was once used as a royal retreat due to the architectural planning of the building and the scarcity of pottery shards inside,” Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.

The Egyptian Archaeological Mission, operating at the Tel Habwa (Tharo) Archaeological Site, made this discovery during excavations as part of the Sinai Development Project.

The architectural style of the building at Sinai and the design of the fragments contained within it suggest that the building was once used as a royal retreat. According to researchers, the Pharaoh may have used these facilities during his military campaigns to expand the Egyptian kingdom to the east.

The layout of the building consists of two consecutive rectangular halls, along with several adjoining rooms. The main entrance located on the north side leads to the first hall flanked by three limestone columns.

The first hall is connected to other smaller halls through doors on the east and west sides. This smaller hall has two limestone columns in the centre, and the entrance is marked by a stone lintel. The second hall connects two rooms facing east and west and is reached through entrances facing each other.

The date of the building was determined through analysis of stratigraphic layers, pottery shards found nearby, and the discovery of two cranes bearing Thutmose III’s name. Professor Ramadan Helmy, Director of the North Sinai Archaeological Region and Head of Mission confirmed that archaeological work at the site also uncovered a number of burials, indicating that the site was used as a cemetery in a later period in ancient Egyptian history.

MG/Maulana Kusumadewa Iskandar

(msf)