Known for its various archaeological monuments, Egypt’s countless ancient tombs carry snippets of history in every corner. Located about 560 kilometers northwest of Cairo, Siwa Oasis is home to one of the most important burial sites dating to Dynasty 26, ‘The Mountain of the Dead.’ ‘The Mountain of the Dead’ contains thousands of graves cut in the bedrock, where inscriptions helped to date the oldest graves to researchers and scholars. According to the official site of the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt, burials continued in this cemetery until the late Roman era. The site is famous for four cemeteries in the mountain; ‘Siamun’, ‘Mesu Isis’, ‘Niperbathot’, and ‘Crocodile’. Belonging to ‘Siamun’, one has colorful depiction of a Greek landowner or merchant praying to Egyptian gods. The Ministry of Antiquities wrote on their site that the cemetery ‘Siamun’ in fact “translate the ancient Egyptian doctrine of life and afterlife.” Not only that, but the tomb walls reflect a clear fusion of Egyptian and Greek artistic styles. ‘Mesu Isis’ is another tomb whose walls are covered by paintings of blue and red cobras. The third tomb has walls with red-ink paintings across…
‘The Mountain of the Dead’: One of Siwa’s Archeological Landmarks
August 15, 2019
