Taposiris Magna has been in the news lately because of the extensive archaeological diggings leading to the theory that this could be the place to find the Tomb of Cleopatra VII. This last Queen of Egypt (see: Cleopatra VII and her children, the last of the Ptolemies) leaves as big a mystery around her ultimate resting place as her distant ancestor, Alexander the Great. Anyway, this riddle has not been solved as yet.
Taposiris Magna lies on Egypt's north coast, about halfway between
It has been recorded that the city was built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the son, and
successor of Ptolemy I, between
280 and 270 BC. It stood on top of a limestone ridge that separates the
Mediterranean from the now-dry
The name Taposiris Magna means “the great tomb of Osiris,” which clearly refers to the temple. The
theory about the last resting place of Cleopatra VII matured after discovering a large necropolis outside the walls.
It contains Greco-Roman mummies, which all face the temple. Hence the link to
the presence of royalty within the walls of the temple and, hopefully, of Cleopatra.
Further excavations have located the original gate to the
The town is surrounded by a long wall that ran further south to the
shore of the lake to ensure that the caravans would pass through the city.
Until the 7th century AD, Taposiris Magna played a significant role in the trading route for the
goods arriving over Lake Mareotis and overland from the Cyrenaica (see: Cyrene, founded by the Greeks).
This forced the merchants to pay taxes before traveling onward to Alexandria.
The lighthouse, or the Pharos of Abusir, is a 1:4 or 1:5 replica of the famous Pharos of Alexandria.
More recent and in-depth studies have concluded that this tower was never a
lighthouse but a funerary monument from Ptolemaic times inspired by the Pharos - meaning it was built after the famous lighthouse of Alexandria.
Pending more excavations and perhaps luck, we might find where this remarkable Queen Cleopatra is buried.
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