In 2022, archaeologists found a massive, magnificent tunnel beneath a temple in the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, which is now a ruin on the coast of Egypt. This tunnel has been dubbed a "geometric miracle" by specialists.
The tunnel beneath the temple at Taposiris Magna. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
The structure was found 13 meters (43 feet) below the surface by Kathleen Martinez of the University of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and colleagues during ongoing excavations and exploration of the temple. A remarkable 1,305 meters (4,281 feet) of sandstone had been hacked through to create the 2-meter-tall tunnel.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in November 2022, it is strikingly comparable to the 1,036-meter Tunnel of Eupalinos, an aqueduct from the 6th century BCE on the Greek island of Samos. The conduit was unmatched in its day in terms of design and construction and is frequently referred to as an engineering wonder.
The tunnel resembles another, older tunnel from ancient Greece that was used to transport water. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
The Taposiris Magna tunnel's engineering is as outstanding even though it is not without equal.
Despite the Taposiris Magna tunnel's similarities to the Eupalinos Tunnel and its submerged portions, its purpose is yet unknown.
Martinez, who has been working in Taposiris Magna to find the missing tomb of Cleopatra VII since 2004, thinks that the tunnel would be a good lead. In the past, the excavations have produced hints that appear to point to the well-known queen and the final Ptolemaic monarch.
The tunnel is hewn from the Egyptian bedrock. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Ptolemy II, the son of legendary general Alexander the Great and a forebear of Cleopatra (who ruled from 51 BCE until her suicide in 30 BCE), constructed Taposiris Magna circa 280 BCE.
The research team surmises that the temple was erected in honor of Cleopatra's favorite god, Osiris, and his consort, the goddess Isis. There have also been discovered statues of Isis as well as coins with the names and likenesses of Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, and other historical figures.
In the temple, burial shafts with Greco-Roman graves have also been discovered. If they are discovered at all, Cleopatra and her husband Mark Antony may have been buried in tombs that are comparable to these ones.
The tunnel's potential connection to these long-lost tombs was unknown to researchers, but further investigation may reveal more.
Alabaster heads were also found at the temple site. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Exploring the adjacent Mediterranean Sea will be the next step. A series of earthquakes that struck the coast between 320 and 1303 CE caused a portion of the temple to collapse and be engulfed by the waters. Additionally, prior excavations had uncovered a system of tunnels that connected Lake Mariout to the Mediterranean.
A thorough excavation of these ruins could reveal more information about the enigmatic old city, whether or not the tombs are discovered. Pottery fragments and a rectangular slab of limestone have already been found in the tunnel.
As the then-Minister for Antiquities Zahi Hawass stated 13 years ago, "If we discover the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, it will be the most important discovery of the 21st century. If we did not discover the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, we made major discoveries here, inside the temple, and outside the temple."
