A team on an Egyptian-Dominican archaeological research expedition from the University of Santo Domingo uncovered the tunnel in the area of the Temple of Tapozeris Magna, west of Alexandria. Although its destination is uncertain, some believe it leads to Cleopatra’s tomb.
The tomb itself has yet to be discovered, but based on the location of the tunnel, archaeologists believe they may have found the site.
Cleopatra is rumored to have been buried in a harbor in ancient Alexandria, which is now underwater due to the effects of natural disasters, including a tsunami, as well as a war, that hit the city.
Studies of the potentially groundbreaking discovery suggest it has a similar design to that of another centuries-old tunnel found in Greece, according to a Facebook post by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
(Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Facebook) The Egyptian tunnel, which is partially underwater, according to the ministry’s post, is said to be about 2 meters high and stretches 1,305 meters in length.
The discovery comes about 2,052 years after the death of Cleopatra, who lived between 69 B.C. and 30 BC
She was the last ruler of Egypt before it was taken over by the Roman Empire in 30 BC, after being defeated by Octavian (later Augustus) of Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium.
Cleopatra was ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt for 21 years.
Earlier in the Egypto-Dominican archaeological research mission, notable objects were discovered inside the Temple of Tapozeri Magna, such as coins bearing the images and names of both Queen Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, as well as decapitated statues and statues of the goddess Isis. .
Possible tunnel discovered in Cleopatra’s tomb in Egypt (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Facebook) This wasn’t the only tunnel found on the expedition – several tunnels were discovered that stretch from King Marriott Lake to the Mediterranean, as well as 16 burials carved into the rock tombs (known to be widely used in ancient Greek and Roman times) and a series of mummies, which highlight features of the embankment process used in these time periods.
