A gallery of 1,305 meters from the Greco-Roman eranear the Temple of Taposiris Magna, west of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Egypt, has made headlines again in the last few hours because its discoverers believe it may lead to Cleopatra’s tomb.
cleopatra is one of the most famous women in history. She is remembered for her alleged beauty and intellect, and for her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Marco Antonio. She became queen of Egypt after the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, in 51 BC and died in 30 BC
In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities explained last Thursday that the tunnel, dug into the rock, it is two meters high and 13 meters underground.
The mission that made the discovery, led by archaeologist Kathleen Martínez, found the heads of two alabaster statues near the temple, one of which was one person from the Ptolemaic period and the other probably a representation of the sphinx.
Martínez has led since 2005 in the architectural complex of Taposiris Magna, a tireless search for the tomb of Cleopatra, which, according to history, He committed suicide after her lover, the Roman general Antonio, bled to death in his arms.
Now the archaeologist believes this passage could lead directly to Cleopatra’s tomb, which if found it would become the most important discovery of humanity in the 21st century.
Martinez told Heritage Key: “If there is a one percent chance that the last queen of Egypt could be buried there, it is my duty to look for her. This is the first time an archaeologist finds tunnelsunderground passages [y] within the walls of the temple complex, so we have forever changed what they know about architecture. “
The archaeologist believes that after Antony committed suicide following his defeat by Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian, Cleopatra prepared detailed plans for both were buried there, as the myth claims.
“She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to recreate the legend of Isis and Osiris. The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it guarantees immortality. After his death, the gods would allow Cleopatra lived with Antony into another form of existence, so that they would have eternal life together, ”Martinez said.
Martinez may now be well on his way after discovering the rock-cut tunnel a bit 13 meters below the temple.
Martinez, who called the tunnel “an engineering miracle”he explained that “initial studies indicate that his architectural design is very similar to the Yubilino Tunnel project in Greece, but it is longer”.
Under the waters of the Mediterranean
He added that part of the tunnel has been discovered it is submerged by the waters of the Mediterraneanand that the mission found several ceramic vessels and jars, as well as a rectangular block of limestone under the mud sediments.
“Numerous archaeological evidence has shown that there is a part of the foundation of the Temple of Taposiris Magna that is submerged by water and the mission is working to bring it to light,” he added.
He also pointed out that, according to scientific sources, at least 23 earthquakes shook the Egyptian Mediterranean coast between 320 and 1303 AD, causing part of the Temple of Taposiris Magna to collapse and sink.
The Egyptian-Dominican mission reported in January discovery of 16 Greco-Roman catacombs with the respective mummies in the necropolis of Taposiris Magna, and which give clues to the characteristics of the mummification of the time.
The discoveries made so far show that the temple of Alexandria was built by King Ptolemy IV, who reigned from 221 BC to 204 BC
Source: Clarin
