A city dating to the early Coptic period, between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE, has been unearthed in western Egypt’s Kharga Oasis, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The discovery, announced last week, was made by an archaeological team affiliated with the government’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Among the remains found were mudbrick homes, tombs, churches, and a mural depicting Jesus Christ healing the sick. Researchers also uncovered large clay jars once used to store grain and food, as well as ovens, pottery shards, glass and stone artifacts, and burial sites.
The largest buildings on-site were two churches. One, designed in a basilica style, featured a central nave flanked by side aisles. The second, smaller and rectangular, contained interior walls bearing Coptic inscriptions.
Though the surviving structures date to the Coptic era, the ministry said the site was first settled in the 3rd century BCE, during Egypt’s Ptolemaic period. Over the following centuries, it grew into a city and became an early center of Christian life as the region transitioned away from pagan beliefs. Many buildings from the Ptolemaic and early Roman periods were repurposed during later eras.
“This discovery reflects the richness and diversity of ancient Egyptian civilization during critical and influential historical periods,” said Sherif Fathy, Egypt’s minister of tourism and antiquities, in a statement. He added that it “enhances understanding of the period of religious transformation in Egypt and highlights the tolerance and cultural and religious diversity that characterized Egyptian civilization.”
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of Egypt’s western oases as “a center of religious and social life in various eras.”
