Photos: New Tal Abu Seifi discoveries strengthen case for locating lost ancient city of Mesen

CAIRO – 15 August 2026: New discoveries at the Tal Abu Seifi archaeological site in northeastern Egypt are shedding fresh light on the ancient Horus military road and strengthening the hypothesis that the site may have been home to the long-lost Egyptian city of Mesen, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Saturday.

The discoveries at East Qantara of Ismailia Governorate were made by an Egyptian archaeological mission working at the site during this year’s excavation season, as part of efforts to document archaeological sites along Egypt’s eastern frontier.

The findings include architectural remains from different periods, as well as a massive sandstone lintel bearing the titles of King Ramesses II and an inscription referring to restoration work carried out on a statue of Horus, Lord of Mesen.

Archaeologists said the inscription provides important evidence in assessing the identity of the site.

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said the discoveries add to efforts to uncover the history of archaeological sites in North Sinai and the Qantara area, highlighting the region’s strategic and cultural role in protecting Egypt’s eastern frontier throughout history.

 

Massive Enclosure Wall

Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the latest excavations have also prompted a more accurate reassessment of architectural features uncovered in previous seasons.

Among the key findings is a massive mudbrick enclosure wall, complete with gateways, interior rooms and multiple construction layers, El-Leithy said.

Studies have established that the structure formed the outer enclosure of the temple complex rather than the temple itself, correcting earlier interpretations of parts of the site, he noted.

The new evidence, he stressed, presents a strong archaeological and historical hypothesis linking the site to the ancient Egyptian city of Mesen.

 

Meanwhile, excavations and scientific studies are still underway to uncover further evidence that could ultimately settle the matter, he added.

The mission also uncovered the remains of two successive stone-paved roads leading from outside the fortified area into the temple. The earlier road dates to the Ptolemaic period, while a narrower Roman-period road was later built over it.

Further excavations revealed parts of the temple itself, including a series of storage rooms on the northern side and larger service areas to the south, leading toward the sanctuary, or Holy of Holies.

The sanctuary was later demolished, apparently as a result of quarrying activities toward the end of the Roman period.

 

Ramesses II Lintel

The discovery of the Ramesses II lintel is considered particularly significant.

The sandstone piece, broken into two sections and carved on three sides, bears the king’s titles and an inscription referring to restoration work on a statue of Horus, Lord of Mesen.

Other finds included part of a schist statue of an army scribe dating to the 26th Dynasty and carrying a broken coffin, underscoring the site’s administrative and military character.

Archaeologists also found a headless and footless statue from the Late Period, the torso of a royal basalt statue, and fragments of falcon statues made of basalt and limestone.

Mesen City Clues

The excavations indicate that Tal Abu Seifi underwent several phases of development and changing use.

The temple reached its architectural peak during the Ptolemaic period before parts of the site were repurposed as a military barracks, or castrum, in the third century AD.

 

By the late Roman period, the site had been transformed into a lime-producing quarry.

Archaeologists uncovered two large circular kilns built over two corners of the sanctuary area, containing remains of limestone that had been subjected to burning.

According to the mission, the latest discoveries, together with evidence from previous excavation seasons, strengthen the archaeological and historical hypothesis that Tal Abu Seifi was associated with Mesen, an ancient Egyptian city mentioned in texts and sources dating to the New Kingdom.

The mission will continue excavations and archaeological studies in coming seasons to uncover additional architectural elements and gather further evidence that could ultimately confirm the site's identification.

The findings so far establish Tal Abu Seifi as one of the key sites along the Horus Military Road, revealing its successive military, religious and economic functions and underscoring its strategic role in safeguarding Egypt’s eastern frontier, as well as its religious significance during the Pharaonic, Ptolemaic and Roman periods.