Unveiling the ‘golden city’ over 3,000 years old

Egyptologists led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, searched for King Tutankhamun’s honorary temple.

Ruins of the “golden city” of King Amenhotep III. What they found was very impressive, it was a labyrinthine city with mud-brick walls, creating an ancient metropolis built by King Tutankhamun’s grandfather King Amenhotep III. The work of the richest Pharaoh On the banks of the Nile, in the city of Luxor adjacent to the Valley of the Kings of Egypt, about 480km south of Cairo, a century ago, archaeologists discovered a very impressive tomb of the king. Tutankhamun. However, the “lost city of gold” built by King Amenhotep III is equally impressive. “Because the area is close to some major monuments and because it is a relatively flat desert, the wind accumulates sand on the surface very quickly and the mud brick walls also disappear easily” – Egyptologist Betsy Bryan of John Hopkins University talks about the city buried under the sand (she was not directly involved in this research). Within weeks of starting excavations, Hawass’s team discovered mud bricks stamped with the name of King Amenhotep III. That helps them estimate the city was built 3,400 years ago when King Amenhotep III ruled from 1391 BC to 1353 BC. “I call it the ‘golden city’ because it was built during the golden age of Egypt,” Hawass said. According to Betsy Bryan, King Amenhotep III was “the richest pharaoh”. He ruled in times of peace and this enabled him to amass unprecedented wealth. “He was never at war. All he did was sit down and count money for 40 years, so he kept building,” she said. However, the exact location of the “golden city” has not been found for nearly a century. “Many foreign missions have come looking for it and have never found it,” Hawass said in a press release, adding that it could be the largest ancient city ever found in Egypt. In 1934 and 1935, a French excavation team went to Luxor to find the “lost city of gold” but found nothing. According to Hawass, the attempt failed because archaeologists were looking in the wrong place. To date, Mr. Hawass’ team has discovered ruins of the city in an area of ​​at least 800 square metres, but it is likely that the city is much larger. It could extend straight to the king’s palace in Malkata, about 3km south of the twin statue depicting King Amenhotep III called Colossi of Memnon, according to Bryan. An unprecedented discovery The newly discovered city appears to be divided into industrial and residential areas. To the south, archaeologists found an ancient bakery with a cooking and meal preparation area, an oven, and pantry pottery. Another neighborhood has many workshops, a mud brick factory used to build temples and amulet factory. Another part of the city is the houses. Beyond the size of the city, Mr Hawass said the “huge amount of artifacts” his team discovered there made it an unprecedented archaeological find. It gives us a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at a time when the empire was at its richest. Buildings surround the street and have walls as high as 2.7 meters. Scattered throughout the buildings, Mr. Hawass’ team found rooms filled with pottery, glass, metalwork and weaving tools. The ancient Egyptians used these objects in their daily lives. However, they have not been touched for millennia. In addition, Mr. Hawass’s team also found a large cemetery north of the city. It is not known how large the cemetery is, but they have discovered a cluster of underground tombs with stairs leading to the entrance to the tomb. In one area of ​​the cemetery, they found a grave containing a skeleton with a rope wrapped around the knee. Mr Hawass is still looking into why the body was buried this way. “For those of us who care about people and how they do things, this place is a treasure trove,” Ms. Bryan said. Near the cemetery, Mr. Hawass’s team found a piece of pottery containing dried meat, possibly from a butcher at a slaughterhouse. The urn has an inscription indicating that the meat was for a festival commemorating the rule of King Amenhotep III. According to Ms. Bryan, the city’s residents are skilled craftsmen, making ceramic vases, glassware and temple decorations under the name Amenhotep III. In addition, Hawass’s research team has also discovered amulets, rings and wine caskets in the city. Many more mysteries will be revealed as the secret of the “golden city” continues to emerge, but what archaeologists have discovered so far, can see the wealth and bustle in a city. Egypt in its heyday.