Armed forces unearth cartouche of King Apries
The Egyptian Military Operations Authority on Tuesday discovered
the nameplate of King Apries in the Tal Defna area in Ismailia, which
is located to the west of the Suez Canal. The plate is made up of two
pieces of red sandstone with two cartouches bearing the name
Wah-ib-ra (Apries ) inscribed. Apries (589-570 BC) was the fifth
king of the 26th Dynasty.
Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed
Abdel Maqsoud said the plate was transferred to storerooms in Ismailia.
Abdel Maqsoud went on to say that the two pieces were covered in
hieroglyphics, whereas the base was free of any writing or carvings.
The first and larger of the two pieces is 163cm long, 85cm wide and
58cm thick, while the second and smaller of the two pieces is 86cm
long and 55cm wide.
Abdel Maqsoud pointed out that a previous excavation of the Tal Defna
area carried out by a team from the Supreme Council of Antiquities nearly
three years ago led to a number of discoveries. He added that Tal Defna
was not only a military garrison for mercenary Greek soldiers but also an
Egyptian city established by King Psamtik I during the first part of the
26th Dynasty.
- Log in to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
- Send by email