Archaeologists have made an important discovery during the search for Cleopatra’s tomb.
One of the greatest personalities in history is also one of the most mysterious. Cleopatra VII, commonly known as Cleopatra, is a historical figure who has remained very popular over the centuries, until today. Cleopatra became queen of Egypt in 51 BC when she was only 18 years old and ruled until her suicide in 30 BC. Known for her handling of foreign affairs and her relationships with Roman emperors Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, Cleopatra is a historical figure who remains very secretive, told only through the vision of the Romans. The image of the Egyptian queen that has reached the 21st century is probably not faithful to reality, with stories often excluding her Greek origins and her relationship to Egyptian culture.
The location of Cleopatra’s tomb is one of the greatest historical secrets that endures into the 21st century. In the absence of concrete historical elements relating to the existence or reign of Cleopatra, archaeologists have very little information. Various research and theories finally led experts to take a close interest in the site of Taposiris Magna, an ancient Egyptian city located on the coast, south of Alexandria, where she allegedly ended her life according to stories. It is on this site that Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martinez has been carrying out excavations since 2005. And the international team led by the researcher recently discovered a tunnel described as a “geometric miracle”.
Discovered under a temple at the site of Taposiris Magna, 13 meters underground, the tunnel is 2 meters high for a length of 1,305 meters cut into the sandstone. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the structure of this tunnel is similar to that of the Eupalinos Tunnel, an underground aqueduct dating from the 6th century BC, located on the island of Samos in Greece. Dr. Martinez revealed that important clues were discovered in this tunnel of Taposiris Magna. Among these clues are coins featuring Cleopatra and Alexander the Great. The presence of the latter is explained by the fact that the city of Taposiris Magna was built by Ptolemy II, son of the famous general of Alexander the Great and one of Cleopatra’s ancestors.
According to the team’s research, the temple where the tunnel was discovered would have been dedicated to the god Osiris and the goddess Isis, to whom Cleopatra would have been closely linked. Figurines of the said goddess were also found in the temple. The tunnel is not the only part of the building discovered by the team. Indeed, the presence of funerary wells containing Greco-Roman sculptures has also been revealed. According to researchers’ estimates, it is very likely that Cleopatra and her husband Mark Antony were buried in similar tombs. A series of clues which lead to the trail of the famous queen of Egypt.
Further research should continue underwater. Part of the temple was in fact buried by the waves after collapsing following numerous earthquakes that occurred on the Egyptian coast between 320 and 1303.
