Lost Golden City

An Egyptian Mission searching for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun has discovered a settlement – “The Dazzling of Aten” – described as the largest city ever found in Egypt (see above). Finds bearing the cartouches of Amenhotep III (see opposite, top) date the settlement to his reign, c. 1390-1352 BC – making it about 3400 years old.

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The settlement, discovered in September 2020, lies on Luxor’s West Bank, between Medinet Habu and Kom el-Hettân (the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III). Only a small section has been excavated so far, with signs that the settlement extends further to the south, east and west.

The section thought to be the administrative and residential area is surrounded by a wavy wall (see left), which is a rare find in ancient Egypt, with only one entrance point, suggesting tight security for the area. The mudbrick walls of the structures are almost complete, some up to three metres high.