CAIRO, Feb 23 (KUNA) -- Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Monday the discovery of parts of an 18th-century mudbrick residential city dating to the era of Sheikh Al-Arab Hammam in Qena Governorate, alongside a Byzantine Coptic necropolis beneath it.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said the project aims to uncover the site's history and preserve it for inclusion on the tourist map, noting its strategic location between Dendera and Abydos.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Hisham El-Leithy said the find deepens understanding of life in Upper Egypt, particularly the Al-Arki area, where historical sources are scarce.
Head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities Sector Diaa Zahran said excavations revealed six houses with service buildings and part of an industrial zone. Some houses featured mudbrick domes, while others had palm-trunk roofs.
Discovered artifacts included bronze coins, pottery, children's toys, jewelry and textiles, reflecting the site's diverse daily activities.
Mission head Ahmad El-Shoky said a Byzantine limestone coffin lid was found reused as flooring at one city entrance, prompting a geophysical survey in cooperation with the Remote Sensing and Space Sciences Authority.
The necropolis includes burials in two styles: direct interment in soil and graves outlined with mudbrick courses. Finds included pottery, linen shrouds and Coptic tunics decorated with plant, geometric and animal motifs, crosses and Coptic inscriptions.
Sheikh Al-Arab Hammam bin Youssef was a prominent 18th-century Upper Egypt leader who expanded his authority from Minya to Aswan. (end) aff.aai