The renowned Egyptian archaeologist, Dr. Zahi Hawass, welcomed His Majesty King Philippe of Kingdom of Belgium during a visit to the excavation site of the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Archaeology and Heritage, in partnership with the Supreme Council of Antiquities, at the funerary complex of King Teti in the Saqqara necropolis.
This visit was intended to highlight the significance of the recent archaeological discoveries being made in the area.
Dr. Hawass accompanied King Philippe on a detailed tour of the excavation site, where he provided a comprehensive explanation of the most important discoveries achieved by the mission.
The visit was attended by Ambassador Bart de Groof, Ambassador of Belgium to Egypt, and a high-level delegation.
Dr. Hawass explained to the King that the mission discovered the tomb of Prince User-ef-Ra, the son of King Userkaf, the first ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, during the mission's work in the Saqqara archaeological area, in addition to many important artifacts from this era and later periods.
Hawass also revealed to the King the details of the discovery of the pyramid of Queen Neith and its accompanying mortuary temple, which is part of the Old Kingdom necropolis uncovered in the area.
Dr. Hawass further explained to the King that the mission also found, for the first time inside the tomb, a statue of King Djoser, his wife, and his ten daughters. Preliminary studies have indicated that these statues were originally located inside a room near King Djoser’s Step Pyramid and were transferred to the tomb of Prince User-ef-Ra during the Late Period.
In addition to this, a red granite offering table was found, measuring 92.5 \text{ cm} in diameter and bearing an inscription that records lists of offerings. Inside one of the tomb chambers, a massive black granite statue was discovered, 1.17 \text{ meters} tall, depicting a standing man with hieroglyphic inscriptions on his chest bearing his name and titles. It appears that the owner of this statue dates back to the 26th Dynasty, suggesting the tomb may have been re-used in the Late Period.
King Philippe expressed his great admiration for the magnificence of the ancient Egyptian civilization and the efforts made by the Egyptian mission to uncover more of its treasures.
Dr. Hawass confirmed that such royal and international visits are the best publicity for Egyptian antiquities, security, and stability in Egypt.
Follow the latest news on Google News
