San al-Hagar site expected to be inaugurated on Sept. 15

CAIRO – 12 September 2018: San al-Hagar archaeological site in Sharqiya governorate is expected to be inaugurated on Saturday Sept.15.

During the opening of Mehu tomb that belongs to a high-ranking ancient official, Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany referred that a monumental archaeological site will be inaugurated on Saturday, September 15.

Previously, the Ministry of Antiquities declared that the archaeological mission at San al-Hagar finished restoring and compiling one of King Ramses II’s statues at the site as part of the development project carried out at San Al-Hagar site to develop it into an open-air museum.

A stela of 19th Dynasty King Ramses II was discovered in January 2018 by an Egyptian mission during working at the San Al-Hagar site.

Mostafa el-Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced that the stela is carved in red granite and depicts King Ramses II presenting offerings to an ancient Egyptian deity.

He recounted that although several foreign missions have worked on San Al-Hagar archaeological site, it has never been extensively excavated and has been neglected for some time.

“This neglect pushed the Egyptian mission and the Ministry of Antiquities to establish a comprehensive development project at the site to protect its monuments and convert it into an open-air museum,” Waziri added.

San Al-Hagar is a prominent archaeological site that houses a wide collection of temples, among which are temples tailor-made to the goddess Mut, the god Horus and the god Amun. Several foreign missions previously worked at San Al-Hagar because of its archeological importance.

Waadalla Abul Ela, head of the ministry's projects sector, announced that a development project targets to establish a collection of concrete mastabas for the monumental blocks and stelae that were found in the temple.