Abusir أبو صير | |
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 The Pharos of Abusir, a likely copy of the famed lighthouse of Alexandria, adorns an ancient tomb. | |
  Abusir Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates:30°56′N29°30′E / 30.933°N 29.500°E /30.933; 29.500 | |
| Country |  Egypt |
| Governorate | Alexandria Governorate |
| Named after | Osiris |
Abusir (Arabic:أبو صير,Coptic:ⲡⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲓ) (also spelledAbousir andAbu Seer, known in ancient times asTaposiris Magna,Greek:Ταπόσιρις Μαγνὰ) is a seaside town on the shore ofLake Mariout on the western extremity of Egypt'sNile Delta. It is situated about 48 kilometres (30 mi) southwest ofAlexandria. Ruins of an ancient temple and an ancient replica of theLighthouse of Alexandria are to be seen here. As of 2009, it was also suspected to be the burial place ofCleopatra VII andMark Antony.[1][2][3]
A series of tombs and the remains of a temple are found on a stonykurkar ridge,[4] wedged between the lake and the sea.
A well-preserved ancient tomb is thought to be a scaled-down model of the Alexandria Pharos. Known colloquially under various names — thePharos of Abusir, theAbusir funerary monument and Burg al-Arab (Arab's Tower) — it consists of a 3-storey tower, approximately 20 metres (66 ft) in height, with a square base, a hexagonal midsection and cylindrical upper section, like the building upon which it was apparently modelled. It dates to the reign ofPtolemy II (285–246 BC), and is therefore likely to have been built at about the same time as the Alexandria Pharos.30°56′53″N29°31′24″E / 30.94806°N 29.52333°E /30.94806; 29.52333 (Pharos of Abusir)
Zahi Hawass andKathleen Martinez have excavated the vicinity of the Temple of Isis since 2006. They found a carved male head and a partial mask, showing cleft chin reminiscent ofMark Antony, besides a stash of coins bearing the image ofCleopatra VII. Relying on these and the account ofPlutarch, they believed that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were both buried in the vicinity, most likely below the Temple of Isis.[1]
Media related toTaposiris Magna at Wikimedia Commons
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30°56′42″N29°30′35″E / 30.94500°N 29.50972°E /30.94500; 29.50972 (Abusir (Lake Mariout))
