Renowned Egyptologist and former antiquities minister, Dr Zahi Hawass, is one of a team of archaeologists who uncovered the largest ancient city ever discovered in Egypt.
Dubbed ‘The Rise of Aten’, the city dates back more than 3000 years, just prior to the reign of the most famous pharoah, Tutankhamun.
Dr Zahi Hawass said the chance find happened during excavation works near the southern city of Luxor.
“I call it the ‘golden city’ because it was constructed in the time of the Golden Age of Egypt. I call it the ‘lost city’ because I never expected to to discover the city,” he said.
The Rise of Aten dates back to the reign of King Amenhotep III who ruled between 1391 and 1353 BCE.
The archaeologists found three major districts – residential, industrial and administration.
“We found inside an area for making shoes, an area for making clothes and an area for making precious stones.”
The city was a hub for the manufacture of artefacts for temples and for those who lived in the palace.
“It helped us to understand for the first time the life of the workmen and the artisans who really worked in a big, large city to produce artefacts for the living.”
Further excavation works are planned for September.
Dr Hawass said he believes the area will reveal more information about Tutankhamun.
“In my opinion – and many Egyptologists – it is the most important discovery that happened in Luxor since the discovery of the tomb of the renowned Pharaoh Tutankhamun.”
Click on the link above to watch Dr Hawass’s entire interview with Euronews.
