News, Sakkara: Egypt Inaugurates Tomb of Sixth Dynasty Vizier Mehu's in Saqqara Necropolis 8 Decades After Its Discovery

Minister of Antiquities El-Enany, Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram, Egyptologist Zahi Hawwas, and a number of foreign ambassadors to Cairo, toured the tomb and funery complexes in Saqqara. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany inaugurated on Saturday the tomb of the sixth Dynasty Vizier Mehu in Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, almost 80 years after its discovery in 1939 by an Egyptian mission led by Egyptologist Zaki Saad.

“The tomb is one of the most beautiful in the Saqqara Necropolis because it still keeps its vivid colours and distinguished scenes,” said El-Enany, adding that among the most peculiar scenes in the tomb is one depicting the marriage of crocodiles in the presence of a turtle.

Among the most important scenes shown on the walls are those featuring the owner of the tomb while hunting in the jungle or fishing, as well as those showing scenes of good harvests, cooking and acrobatic dancing – all of which has not been previously found in other discoveries in Saqqara before the sixth Dynasty.

Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriate's Affairs Nabila Makram and renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass, along with 12 ambassdors to Cairo, including the European Union, Brazilian, French and Belgian, attended the opening.

Hawwas said that he is very happy to witness such an opening as he studied the lintel and witnessed the tomb’s restoration.

Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explains that the ministry is undertaking restoration work on the different scenes of the tomb by consolidating paintings, strengthening colours and developing the lighting system inside. Sabri Farag, the director-general of the Saqqara archaeological site, pointed out that the tomb does not only belong to Mehu himself but members of his family as well.

Mehu lived during the reign of King Pepsi I and he held 48 names and titles inscribed on the wall of his burial chambers, as well as his sarcophagus. Among these titles are the scribe of the royal documents, the vizier and head of the juries.

The tomb is six meters to the south of the southern wall of Djoser’s pyramid complex, and consists of burial chambers for his son Mery Re Ankh and grand-son Hetep Ka II. It has a long narrow corridor with six chambers. Inside Mehu’s burial chamber, a sarcophagus with a lid was uncovered.

Mery Re Ankh had 23 titles carved and inscribed on the walls of his burial chamber. He was the overseer of Buttu region. Meanwhile, Muni’ s grand son lived during the reign of king Pepsi II and painted his false door inside the pillars hall of Mehu. He held 10 titles among them, the holder of the Director of the palace.

King Djoser’s southern tomb renovations

After the Mehu’s tomb opening, El-Enany along with a group of foreign ambassadors to Egypt, including the Brazilian, Belgium and French envoys, embarked on an tour to inspect the latest work carried out at the southern tomb of King Djoser’s in Saqqara. The tomb is expected to open after the completion of the king’s funerary pyramid complex.

The minister pointed out that the southern tomb is one of the most important structures of the king Djoser’s funerary complex. It was discovered in 1928 and it is located in the south- western side of the funerary complex.

Waziri explains that the conservation works carried out inside the tomb included the consolidations of the faience tiles that once decorated the inner arches of the tombs well as the floors, walls and ceiling.

Farag explained that the tomb has an entrance from the southern side leading to a sloping staircase towards a 28 meter deep shaft where a small granite burial chamber is found beneath. The chamber is 1.6 metres long with corridors whose walls are decorated with scenes depicting king Djoser’s in the Hebset ritual.

The king was featured twice: one time while wearing the white crown, and the second with the red crown symbolizing that he is the king of the north and south. He pointed out that the function of this tomb has perplexed Egyptologists as some suggested that it is a symbolic tomb for King Djoser as the King of Upper Egypt, while others see that it is a place to preserve the king’s Canopic jars. A third group believe that it could be the beginning of the construction of side pyramids of other predecessor Kings.

Restorations at Tie's Tomb

El-Anany also visited Tie’s tomb in Saqqara, which is now under restoration. The minister said that conservation work carried out at Tie’s tomb would be completed within days and is scheduled to be open soon. Tie was the supervisor of the Fifth Dynasty royals’ pyramids. Though he was not a vizier, he was still able to construct a large tomb in Saqqara Necropolis.

The tomb was discovered by French archaeologist August Mariette in 1865. It is also considered as one of the most beautiful tombs in Saqqara. It is well-known for its coloured inscriptions and reliefs depicting scenes of baking bread and brewing beer.

Waziri pointed out that since its discovery the tomb, no restoration work has been carried out there until recently when an Egyptian-Czech mission in collaboration with Saqqara conservators team started the cleaning and conservation work for its walls. This process meant to remove dust and strength the colours of scenes depicted. Conservation work carried out at Tie’s tomb at the Saqqara Necropolis is scheduled to be open soon. Tie was the supervisor of the 5th Dynasty royals’ pyramids, and although he was not a vizier he was able to construct himself a large tomb in the Saqqara Necropolis.

Source: Ahram Online

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New Discovery, Nile Delta: One of The Earliest Settlements of the Nile Delta Uncovered in Daqahliya Governorate

An Egyptian-French mission at the Tell el-Samara site in the Delta governorate of Daqahliya has recently uncovered one of the oldest villages ever discovered in the Nile Delta. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The joint mission excavated the remains of a Neolithic settlement, whose occupation lasted until the 2nd dynasty (ca. 4200-2900 BC), at the bottom level of the El-Samara site.  “Discoveries from the Neolithic period are virtually unknown in this area, so this finding is of the upmost importance,” said Frederic Geyau, the head of the mission.

The only other settlement discovered so far from the Neolithic period is the town of Sais, which was excavated by the Egyptian Exploration Society. The significant amount of data collected at Tell el-Samara since 2015 provide a unique opportunity to gain a better knowledge of the prehistoric societies living in Lower Egypt a thousand years before the 1st dynasty. From the pottery and artefacts found at the site, researchers believe that communities settled in the wetlands of the Nile Delta as early as the end of the 5th millennium BC.

Ayman Ashmawi, the head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities sector, told Ahram Online that the mission has also discovered a dozen silos containing a sizable quantity of animal bones and botanical remains, which will allow for scientists to study the subsistence strategies of these populations.

He also said that the analyses of these organic remains will use cutting-edge technologies and, in conjunction with uncovering the unexcavated areas in the seasons to come, will definitely provide critical insights on the first populations of the Nile Delta, as well as providing insight into the origins of agriculture and husbandry in Egypt.

Source: Ahram Online

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New Discovery, Alexandria: Archaeological Inspection Unearths A Partial Ptolemaic Necropolis in Alexandria

Ptolemaic rock-hewn tombs uncovered in Alexandria's western cemetery. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

An Egyptian archaeological mission discovered a Ptolemaic necropolis in Alexandria’s western cemetery while carrying out a preliminary archaeological inspection before erecting an iron gate around a workshop at the Gabal Al-Zaytoun railway station in Alexandria.

Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Ahram Online that the ministry has allocated money for an excavation and to uncover the remaining part of the cemetery. 

He added that the mission found a collection of rock-hewn tombs with stairs leading to a small hall that may had been used as a resting area for visitors, as well as another open court surrounded by burial recesses.

Aymen Ashmawi, the head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, said that the mission also unearthed a collection of lamps decorated with animal scenes and a cistern for funerary rituals, along with a number of clay and glass pots. A collection of skeletons and human bones were also uncovered.

“Early studies show that this necropolis had been used across several historical periods and that it was dedicated to impoverished citizens,” Ashmawi explains. He added that some of the tombs featured coloured and decorated layers of plaster, while other parts were coloured less.

Regretfully the tombs are in very poor condition due to a lack of conservation during the British colonial period when the railways were constructed, as well as the deterioration suffered as a result of the military invasion in World War II.

Source: Ahram Online

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News, Cairo: Egypt’s Mena House Among ‘World’s Greatest Places to Stay’

The end of the summer vacation may be just around the corner, but it is never too late to make this year more memorable, as TIME magazine revealed its list of2018’s World’s Greatest Places.

In its list of best places to stay in the world, Cairo’s iconic Marriot Mena House was included, next to other breathtaking places such as the Hotel de Crillon in Paris and the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel in the Maldives. “Hotels often boast of sea or city views,” TIME said on its website.

The end of the summer vacation may be just around the corner, but it is never too late to make this year more memorable, as TIME magazine revealed its list of 2018’s World’s Greatest Places.

In its list of best places to stay in the world, Cairo’s iconic Marriot Mena House was included, next to other breathtaking places such as the Hotel de Crillon in Paris and the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel in the Maldives. “Hotels often boast of sea or city views,” TIME said on its website.

“But this one overlooks a Wonder of the World: the Great Pyramid of Giza.” Indeed, the view of its magical palm trees next to the enchanting pyramids attracted many famous visitors like Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill.

The hotel’s strategic location also hosted Australian troops during both World War I and World War II, and the first peace settlement talks between Egypt and Israel in 1977 (which led to the Camp David Agreement).

Originally built as a hunting lodge, the hotel has undergone many renovations over the past few years, with the latest one just completed this February. It now offers 331 suites, four dining areas, an 18-hole golf course, 40 acres of gardens and a spa.

Other Arab destinations were also included in TIME’s list to visit, including Abu Dhabi’s Louvre, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia and Morocco’s 14th century Al-Qaraqiyyin Library in Fez. To create the list, TIME asked for nominations from editors, correspondents and industry experts around the world, and then evaluated each destination based on quality, originality, innovation, sustainability and influence.

Source: Egyptian Streets