Plan to reconstruct temple of Tel Bassta near Zagazig

The position of Tel Bassta was of paramount importance because it is located at the centre of the meeting point of the main trade route linking Egypt to its neighboring countries in the east with the Nile route.

The city, as Mohamed Abdul Maqssoud, Head of Upper Egypt antiquities department said, reached its prime during the reign of the 21st 22nd and 23rd dynasties.

It witnessed the spread of Christianity and Islam in Egypt.

Tel Bassta is rich in its pharaonic antiquities that vary between monuments associated with the doctrine of the ancient Egyptians as tombs, and with their daily lives as houses and palaces.

The SCA has, however, decided to revive the city by rebuilding its large temple most of which dates to the age of Ramsis II i.e. 1290 BC, Osarcon II i.e. 889 BC and Tiktanbu II 360 bc.

"The reconstruction of the temple takes place in cooperation with German experts," said Sayed Hegazi, Director of East Delta antiquities.

He noted that the scattered stones of the temple have been collected and restored as a preliminary step for reinstalling the temple according to the general design available on the computer.

The temple that occupies a large area includes columns and statues and is surrounded by a cemetery of the old kingdom and the Middle State.

Among the finds in Tel Bassta is a shrine of king AmenhotebIII, a cat's cemetery pertaining to the 22 dynasties and onwards, a Palace of Amnemhat II of the 12th dynasty and a palace dating back to the Middle State.

Tel Bassta had also revealed a gold and silver treasure found in 1906 the items of which are displayed at the Egyptian museum. In 1992 a third treasure was unearthed at the area of the great temple and is currently on display at the Museum of Zagazig University.