Egypt unveils discovery of 3,000-yr-old ‘Lost Gold City’

The city known as "The Rise of Aten", dates back to the reign of Amenhotep III

Cairo: An Egyptian archaeological mission announced the discovery of a 3000-year-old “Lost Gold City” (LGC) in the monument-rich city of Luxor. The mission, headed by renowned Egyptian archeologist Zahi Hawass, in collaboration with the country’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, found the city that was lost under the sand, reports Xinhua news agency.

The city known as “The Rise of Aten”, dates back to the reign of Amenhotep III, and continued to be used by king Tutankhamun. “Many foreign missions worked in this area in search for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun because the temples of both Horemheb and Ay were found here,” Hawass said in a statement on Thursday, adding those missions failed to find the city.

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Terming the discovery as the largest city ever found in Egypt, Hawass explained that “the LGC was founded by one of the greatest rulers, Amenhotep III, the ninth king of the 18th dynasty who reigned from 1391 till 1353 B.C.” His son, the famous Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton), helped Amenhotep III in ruling the city for eight years, he added.

The LGC was the largest administrative and industrial settlement in the era of the Egyptian empire on the western bank of Luxor, he said, pointing out the mission unearthed some of the city’s streets that are flanked by houses, with walls are up to 3 metres high. The Egyptian mission, that started working on the discovery in September 2020, has found a well-preserved city with almost complete walls, and with rooms filled with tools of daily life.