Discovered: Ancient Christian Ruins In Egyptian Oasis

Ancient Christian ruins dating to the 5th century AD have recently been discovered to the southwest of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. A Franco-Norwegian team of archeologists stumbled upon the ruins during a series of excavations at the Tal Ganoub Qasr al-Agouz site in the Bahariya Oasis. Biblical inscriptions, as well as information about monastic life, were found amongst the graffiti on the newly recovered walls. There is still much more to be learned about this site and its history.

The head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities Department, Osama Talaat, said three churches and numerous cells for monks were found in this new location. This was the third excavation undertaken for this series. The first one happened in 2009 and the second one in 2019. The head of the archeological mission, Victor Chica, reported that in the previous digs, “19 structures and a church carved into the bedrock” had been unearthed last year amidst the pandemic.

The French Institute of Oriental Archaeology, the organization heading the digs, mentioned that this region was inhabited throughout the 4th and 8th centuries AD, flourishing during the 5th and 6th centuries. This new site, with its buildings forged from a variety of materials (mud bricks, basalt, and bedrock), will undoubtedly add to our knowledge about past events. The city of Cairo is hopeful that this and many other recent discoveries will increase tourism. Another amazing discovery was the massive amount of coffins found last year. Click here to read more about that.

References:

[1] – https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ancient-christian-ruins-discovered-in-egyptian-desert/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2021.

[2] – https://radiofiji.com.fj/find-from-the-fifth-century-researchers-uncover-monastery-ruins-in-egypt/8107/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2021.