New archaeological discoveries at Tel Abu Saify in Qantara East have provided fresh evidence about the route of the ancient Horus Military Road and strengthened the hypothesis that the site may be connected to the long-lost ancient Egyptian city of Msen, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced.
Excavations by an Egyptian archaeological mission at the site in Ismailia Governorate have uncovered architectural remains, roads, fortifications and artefacts spanning several historical periods. Among the most significant finds are inscriptions bearing the titles of King Ramesses II and a text referring to restoration work on a statue of Horus, lord of the city of Msen.
The discoveries could help researchers establish the identity of Tel Abu Saify and provide a clearer picture of the network of fortified settlements and religious centres that protected Egypt’s eastern frontier.
New Evidence Along the Horus Military Road
The excavation forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, through the Supreme Council of Antiquities, to document archaeological sites along Egypt’s eastern borders and reconstruct the course of the ancient Horus Military Road.
The route was strategically important for Egypt, connecting a series of forts and settlements that helped defend the country’s north-eastern frontier and supported military movements towards Sinai and the eastern Mediterranean.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathi said the latest discoveries represented an important addition to research into archaeological sites in North Sinai and the Qantara region.
He said the remains demonstrated the strategic and civilian importance of the area and the role it played in protecting Egypt’s eastern borders over successive historical periods.
Continuing excavations at sites associated with the Horus Military Road, he added, would help archaeologists reconstruct the route, identify its stations and reveal previously unknown aspects of ancient Egyptian history.
Earlier Interpretation of Monumental Wall Revised
Dr Hisham Al-Lithi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said this season’s work built on excavations conducted at Tel Abu Saify over several decades.
Researchers have now been able to reassess previously discovered architectural remains and develop a more detailed understanding of the original layout and evolution of the site.
One of the most important developments concerns a massive mud-brick wall and gateway complex.
Excavations revealed the gateway, its internal chambers and successive construction layers. Detailed study has now established that the structure represents the outer enclosure wall surrounding the temple, rather than part of the temple itself, correcting an earlier interpretation of the remains.
Al-Lithi said the new evidence also supported a significant archaeological and historical hypothesis linking Tel Abu Saify with the ancient city of Msen. However, he stressed that excavation and scientific study remained under way and that further evidence would be required before the identification could be considered definitive.
Roads Led Directly Into Temple Complex
Mohamed Abdel Badi, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said archaeologists had also identified the remains of two adjacent stone-paved roads leading from outside the fortified area towards the temple.
One of them, dating to the Roman period, is narrower than the other.
Inside the temple complex, the mission uncovered a sequence of storage rooms in the northern section and larger service rooms to the south. Excavations extended towards the Holy of Holies, or temple sanctuary, which suffered extensive destruction during activities carried out at the site in the late Roman period.
The discoveries are helping archaeologists reconstruct how the religious complex functioned and how its internal spaces were organised.
Ramesses II Inscriptions Provide Crucial Clue
Among the most significant finds is a large sandstone architectural element, discovered broken into two sections, bearing inscriptions on three sides containing the royal titles of Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt during the 19th Dynasty.
According to Dr Hisham Hussein, head of the Central Administration for the Coast and Sinai and head of the archaeological mission, another inscription contains a literary text referring to restoration work carried out on a statue of Horus, lord of the city of Msen.
The reference is considered particularly important because it could provide evidence for determining the ancient identity of the site.
If further discoveries confirm the connection, Tel Abu Saify could potentially be identified with Msen, a city known from ancient Egyptian textual sources but whose precise location has remained uncertain.
Statues and Military Remains Unearthed
The excavations have also produced evidence of the administrative and military importance of the settlement.
Mahmoud Galal, director of the General Administration for Sinai Antiquities and a leader of the mission, said finds included sculptural remains dating to the Late Period, including material associated with Egypt’s 26th Dynasty.
Archaeologists also discovered a statue missing its head and legs, the torso of a basalt royal statue and fragments of statues fashioned from materials including basalt and jasper.
Together with the site’s fortifications and other architectural remains, the discoveries reinforce the interpretation of Tel Abu Saify as a strategically important settlement on Egypt’s eastern approaches.
Temple Flourished Under the Ptolemies
Evidence uncovered during the latest and previous excavation seasons indicates that Tel Abu Saify underwent repeated transformations as its military, religious and economic functions changed.
The temple appears to have reached the height of its architectural development during the Ptolemaic period, when the complex was expanded and reorganised.
During the third century AD, however, parts of the site were reused for the construction of a Roman military barracks, or castrum, reflecting the continuing strategic importance of the location centuries after the Pharaonic period.
The site’s function changed dramatically again during the late Roman era, when portions of the complex were used as a quarry and lime-production centre.
Archaeologists uncovered two large circular installations near the corners of the Holy of Holies containing remains of burnt limestone, evidence that stone from earlier buildings was being processed to manufacture lime.
Search for Msen Continues
The archaeological mission said the combined evidence from the latest excavations and previous seasons increasingly supports the hypothesis that Tel Abu Saify was connected with the Pharaonic city of Msen, known from ancient Egyptian inscriptions and historical sources.
The reference to Horus as lord of Msen is regarded as an especially significant piece of evidence, although archaeologists have not yet declared the identification conclusive.
Further excavation seasons will therefore focus on uncovering the remaining architectural features of the site and searching for additional inscriptions or archaeological material that could establish its ancient identity.
The latest findings nevertheless confirm Tel Abu Saify as one of the major archaeological sites associated with the Horus Military Road.
Its successive fortifications, temple buildings, military installations and industrial activity document centuries of occupation and reveal how the settlement’s role evolved over time.
From a religious and defensive centre under the pharaohs to a strategically important settlement in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, Tel Abu Saify provides new evidence of the enduring importance of Egypt’s eastern frontier — and may ultimately solve the centuries-old question of where the lost city of Msen once stood.
Sources : Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
