Luxor Times

09/04/2026

Egyptian Archaeologists Uncover Temple of Pelusium’s Local Deity, Rewriting the City’s Role in the Ancient World

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a rare temple complex at Tell el-Farama, the site of ancient Pelusium in North Sinai. The newly identified structure, dedicated to the city’s local deity, features a massive 35-meter circular basin connected to the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, pointing to a sacred water installation used in ritual practices. Discovered by a mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the find reshapes our understanding of Pelusium as a key religious and cultural hub linking Egypt with the wider ancient world.�

After six years of archaeological excavations at Tell el-Farama, the site of ancient Pelusium in North Sinai, an Egyptian archaeological mission from the

31/12/2025

Happy New Year 2026

As we welcome 2026, we wish our readers, partners, and friends a year filled with hope, discovery, and positive change.

Thank you for being part of the Luxor Times journey and for sharing our passion for history, culture, and meaningful storytelling.
Here’s to a new year of learning from the past and looking forward to a brighter future.

The coming year will bring a few changes in different ways, whether in our team, our management, or our style of presentation. What will not change is our core perspective and vision: telling history clearly, responsibly, and from an Egyptian point of view to the world.

We believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. History reminds us of that truth again and again. At Luxor Times, we remain committed to leading through knowledge, dialogue, and context, using the past not as nostalgia, but as a guide.

Learning from history for a better future remains at the heart of everything we do.

Thank you for being part of the journey. The year ahead holds much to look forward to.

30/12/2025

Industrial Workshops and Roman Cemetery Found in Egypt’s Western Delta

The Egyptian Italian Archaeological Mission has recently discovered auko of industrial workshops of the Late Period and Ptolemaic period, as well as a cemetery of the Roman period with various burial styles in the Egyptian Western Nile Delta.

The Egyptian Italian Archaeological Mission has recently discovered auko of industrial workshops of the Late Period and Ptolemaic period, as well as a

20/11/2025

Major Tanis Discovery Reshapes Third Intermediate Period Burials

Tanis has revealed a major new chapter in its royal history. A French mission working at San el-Hagar has uncovered 225 ushabti of King Shoshenq III inside the tomb of Osorkon II, along with new evidence identifying an uninscribed granite sarcophagus as the king’s own. The discovery is being hailed as the most significant at the site in decades and offers fresh insight into royal burials of the Third Intermediate Period.

Institut français d’archéologie orientale - Ifao

New Evidence Links Uninscribed Sarcophagus and 225 Ushabti to King Shoshenq III in San el-Hagar

06/11/2025

36 Ancient Egyptian artifacts have been repatriated from the United States in a new wave of returns following Egypt’s June recovery. Find the full report on Luxor Times.

Egypt has successfully repatriated 36 Egyptian antiquities from the United States, demonstrating its strong determination to safeguard its historical riches

01/11/2025

Exclusive: The Face of Forever!

When the King Looked Back. Face to Face with Eternity

Luxor Times Photographs Tutankamen’s Mask One Last Time in Cairo before the journey to the Grand Egyptian Museum. An exclusive photographic feature by Michelle Reynolds and Mena Melad.

World History Encyclopedia Grand Egyptian Museum Dr. Zahi Hawass

Explore the profound moment when the King looked back, face to face with eternity in Luxor Times' captivating narrative. Delve into a story of resilience and hope that resonates with the human experience.

31/10/2025

Watch the Grand Opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum LIVE on the Luxor Times YouTube Channel.

Available to subscribers — Click here to subscribe https://shorturl.at/ApvJc

Join us on Saturday, November 1st at 5:45 PM Cairo time,
11:45 AM New York time, 3:45 PM London time, and 2:45 AM Sunday in Sydney.

16/10/2025

A Time Capsule Beneath the Floorboards: Rare Coin Deposit Unearthed in Historic Villa in Alexandria

The Supreme Council of Antiquities has uncovered a rare lead capsule concealed beneath the foundations of a historic villa in central Alexandria. Inside were thirteen Egyptian coins spanning the reigns of Sultan Hussein Kamel and King Fuad I, ranging from small milliemes to gold coins of 20, 50 and 100 piastres. These gold pieces are considered among the rarest issues in modern Egyptian coinage.

The discovery was not accidental. It was a deliberate foundation deposit placed during the construction of the villa to invoke blessing and prosperity. This practice has deep roots in ancient Egyptian tradition and continued through the Hellenistic and Roman eras in Alexandria. It was later maintained by the city’s Greek community in the early 20th century.

Coins, Prayers and a Typewritten Testament

Alongside the coins was a sheet of paper typed in Greek. It bore handwritten signatures and personal invocations. It recorded that on 1 May 1937, Constantine M. Salvago, supported by his mother Julia K. Salvago, laid the foundation stone of the villa under the supervision of the French architect Jean Walter.

The villa belonged to the Salvago family. They were one of the most influential Greek families in Alexandria and played a major role in the city’s commercial, social and charitable life during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Alexandria as a Mirror of Civilisations

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy described the discovery as an important link in the story of Alexandria. He stated that finds like this reveal the city’s layered identity and reflect the interaction between Egyptian, Greek, European and Levantine traditions which shaped its cosmopolitan character.

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that the capsule forms a connection between ancient foundation rituals and modern cultural memory in the city. He highlighted the preservation of Greek customs within Egyptian heritage.

From Beneath the Floor to Museum Display

The coin deposit will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. It will be presented not only as a collection of coins but as a message deliberately preserved by the people who built the city in their own time.

It stands as a final testament from the Alexandrians of 1937 to the Alexandrians of today:

“We built, and we blessed. Remember us.”

11/10/2025

Eastern Fortresses: Major New Military Fortress from the New Kingdom Discovered on the Horus Road in Sinai

The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the Tell el-Kharouba site in Sheikh Zuwayed, North Sinai, has uncovered a massive military fortress dating back to the New Kingdom. It is considered one of the largest and most strategically important fortresses discovered to date along the ancient Horus military road, near the Mediterranean coast.

This remarkable discovery adds a significant new chapter to our understanding of Egypt’s defensive infrastructure during the New Kingdom. The pharaohs of that era developed an extensive chain of fortresses and military outposts to secure Egypt’s eastern borders and protect the vital overland route that linked ancient Egypt with Palestine.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy described the discovery as “a tangible embodiment of the ancient Egyptian genius in constructing an integrated defensive network to safeguard Egypt’s land.” He added that it “recounts new chapters of our distinguished military history and reinforces Sinai’s status as a land rich in unique cultural testimonies across the ages.”

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized that the discovery of such a monumental fortress represents a major step toward reconstructing the full picture of Egypt’s eastern defensive system during the New Kingdom. “Every new fortress we uncover adds another block to our understanding of pharaonic military organization,” he said. “It confirms that ancient Egyptian civilization was not limited to temples and tombs, it was also a state of strong institutions capable of protecting its territories and borders.”

Excavations revealed part of the southern wall of the fortress, stretching approximately 105 meters in length and 2.5 meters in width, with a secondary entrance measuring 2.20 meters across. Eleven defensive towers have been uncovered so far, along with the northwest bastion and sections of both the northern and western walls. The team faced major challenges due to shifting sand dunes that had engulfed large portions of the site.

Mohamed Abdel-Badea, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, added that the mission identified a 75-meter-long zigzag wall on the western side of the fortress, running north to south and enclosing a residential area designated for soldiers. This distinctive architectural design is characteristic of New Kingdom fortresses and reflects the adaptability of ancient Egyptian engineers to harsh desert conditions.

The mission also uncovered a wide range of pottery fragments and vessels, including foundation deposits beneath one of the towers dating to the first half of the 18th Dynasty. A jar handle stamped with the name of King Thutmose I was found, alongside quantities of volcanic stone believed to have been transported by sea from the volcanic islands of Greece. A large bread oven was discovered with remains of petrified dough still inside, evidence that the fortress functioned as a fully equipped garrison and living center for soldiers.

According to Dr. Hesham Hussein, Head of the Central Department of Delta Antiquities, preliminary studies show that the fortress underwent multiple phases of repair and modification over time, including repeated alterations to the southern entrance. The mission hopes to continue excavations to uncover the remaining walls and associated structures, with expectations of locating the military harbor that once served the fortress near the coast.

The newly discovered fortress covers an area of roughly 8,000 square meters, three times the size of the earlier fortress found at the same site in the 1980s, located around 700 meters to the southwest. It now joins a distinguished list of New Kingdom military sites discovered along the Horus Road, including Tell Heboua, Tell el-Borg, and Tell el-Ahmar.

As excavations continue, this newly uncovered stronghold promises to reshape our understanding of Egypt’s eastern frontier, revealing not only how the pharaohs defended their borders, but how soldiers lived, worked, and sustained an empire at the edge of the desert.

07/10/2025

Khaled El-Enany Wins UNESCO in a Landslide as Egypt Marks a Defining Cultural Victory

In a vote that redrew expectations inside UNESCO’s headquarters, Khaled El-Enany won the race to lead the United Nations’ cultural agency by an extraordinary margin, 55 votes to 2. The scale of the result ended weeks of speculation and validated a confident refrain from inside his campaign: it would not be a tight race. Diplomats who filed out of the Executive Board chamber used words like emphatic and historic.

For Egypt, the moment carries a double resonance. An Egyptologist who rose from guiding visitors among temples to stewarding national culture as minister is now entrusted with the world’s most visible platform for education, science, culture and communication. For the Arab world and Africa, the result places a voice from the Global South at the center of an institution that shapes how nations teach, preserve and share their heritage.

El-Enany stepped to the microphone and, in English, offered a simple line that cut through the applause: “I stand before you with humility and gratitude.” Before that, he thanked his country in Arabic. The words were spare, almost understated, the tone consistent with a campaign built less on spectacle than on long miles and careful listening. He pledged to serve all member states and has spoken repeatedly in recent months about modernizing and depoliticizing UNESCO, emphasizing transparency, early reforms and wider consultation in his first hundred days.

The road to this outcome narrowed decisively when the race, once a three-way contest, turned into a head-to-head. Mexico’s Gabriela Ramos withdrew in late August, leaving El-Enany opposite Firmin Édouard Matoko of the Republic of Congo, a veteran insider. The contrast sharpened the choice. Delegations could back an institutional steward or an outsider with ministerial experience who promised to push the agency closer to classrooms, museums, field sites and newsrooms. The Executive Board chose the latter by a margin that surprised even seasoned observers. The tally, confirmed by wire services and European media, now moves to a final, customary appointment by UNESCO’s full membership next month.

Cairo reacted quickly. Messages of congratulations from officials were joined by quieter notes from curators and conservators, the archaeologists who spend their days coaxing inscriptions from stone, the tour guides who recite history to the world. The pride was unmistakable, but so was a certain sobriety about what comes next. Winning the Executive Board is a mandate; governing UNESCO is an examination that begins immediately.

The near-term challenges are concrete. The agency’s machinery is respected, but it is also slow. Departments can be siloed. Processes accrete. Budgets are tight and will be tighter if announced funding withdrawals take effect, which would widen a forecast gap in the years ahead. A Director-General who campaigned on responsiveness and delivery will be judged on whether he can move programs at the speed of events without unbalancing the institution’s delicate regional equities. He will need to appoint a senior team that blends reform energy with institutional memory, and he will have to win trust from staff who have heard reform promises before. On the outside, the pressures are sharper still. Heritage sites in conflict zones are at risk from shelling, looting and illicit trade. Climate change is degrading landscapes faster than conservation science can stabilize them. Education systems in fragile settings are strained by displacement and misinformation. UNESCO’s media and information brief is now entangled with the rapid spread of AI, a domain that demands standards and guardrails even as it resists them. The restitution debate—once a specialist’s question—is now a matter of public politics, diplomacy and law in multiple capitals. Each file pulls the agency into the crosswinds of national pride and historical grievance.

There is also the question of credibility. In recent years UNESCO has been lauded for its lists and communiqués, yet criticized for how slowly those gestures translate into material change. El-Enany ran on a slogan “UNESCO for the People” that will now be measured in very practical terms.
Do classrooms gain resources and teachers the training they need? Do museums and sites receive support that can be counted in scaffolds and conserved facades, not just press releases? Do journalists and students in low-income countries feel the agency in their work, or only see its logo? Those are not abstract tests. They are the daily realities by which his tenure will be judged.

Politics, inevitably, will test him as well. One reason this victory resonates is that it promises a leader fluent in the language of heritage who is not a creature of the Paris Secretariat. Another is that it reflects a coalition that stretched from the Arab League and African Union through European and Latin American capitals. Keeping that coalition together when priorities diverge will require the same patient diplomacy that built it. The Executive Board’s vote confers legitimacy; it also raises the bar for delivery. In the coming weeks he must signal early what modernization means, how he will handle budget strain, how he plans to insulate technical work from political drag, and where UNESCO will concentrate its first practical wins.

For Egypt, this is a milestone. For UNESCO, it is a wager on a style of leadership that promises fewer declarations and more outcomes. The formal appointment by the General Conference remains a step ahead, but today’s vote sends as clear a signal as the system can send. Khaled El-Enany has the mandate. What he builds with it will decide whether this day is remembered as a turning point or a bright interlude.

At the grand opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Dr. Khaled El-Enany will attend as UNESCO’s director-general designate, a role that elevates his historic connection to the project well beyond his achievements as Egypt’s former minister of antiquities. His participation will symbolize the seamless bridge between national heritage stewardship and international cultural leadership, since he personally oversaw and advanced the museum’s development at an important phase. Now, stepping into UNESCO’s top role, El-Enany’s presence at this November 1, 2025 event demonstrates to the world how local vision and global responsibility can unite to celebrate and safeguard Egypt’s legacy for generations to come.

Congratulations once more to Egypt and Khaled El-Enany for this remarkable achievement, and best wishes as he undertakes the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Khaled El-Enany UNESCO khaled.elenany whencyclopedia