When in 333 BC, Alexander took possession of Pelusium,
situated on a branch of the Nile that has
shifted since, it was a wealthy settlement as it contributed to his treasury
with 800 talents (20 tons of silver and gold). It was his first stop in Egypt,
as it was for all conquering armies before and after him.
Pelusium was not only the point of entry for invaders but also the departure
point for Egyptian expeditions to Asia . In
short, it was a place of substantial strategic importance and the second port of Egypt
after Alexandria,
as it served as a transit station for the goods coming from and going to the
lands around the Red Sea .
Yet, despite
its fame and importance in antiquity and the many sources, among which Herodotus, Polybius, Diodorus,
Curtius
Rufus, Arrian,
Strabo, etc., the site of Pelusium, associated with modern Tell el-Farama has never been properly excavated.
Antique sources describe the city as a bustling harbor with magazines and
customs offices trading in salt, textiles, pottery, and fish. On the site, which is believed to be almost six kilometers long, we find the remains of a
fortress and marble columns from a possible Roman
Theater that closely resembles the one
in Alexandria.
There are remains of several necropolises, a hippodrome, fish tanks for garum, Roman
baths with mosaics from the 3rd century AD, a stadium, many temples, and even a military installation.
However, the
little we know about Pelusium is now threatened by the
construction plans for a massive canal through the northern part of the Sinai Desert .
This waterway is meant to bring fresh water to the city of El Arish , 60 kilometers from
the border with Israel .
Unfortunately, in that part of the world, nothing is simple. As early as 1991,
archaeologists launched a project to survey the course of this canal to pinpoint any site that may be worth recovering before being destroyed by the
dig works or, if possible, divert the route to save vast remains. It
is no surprise that by 2010, both the canal and the archaeological project have
been put on hold.
It seems that
ancient Pelusium will not soon resuscitate from its ruins.
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