Coptic tombstone discovered in Luxor’s Sphinxes Avenue

A tombstone containing a large carved cross and a Coptic inscription was discovered on the Eastern side of the Avenue of Sphinxes, under Al-Mathan Bridge in Luxor, Egypt.

The Coptic tombstone (by Ahram Online)

The limestone tombstone was found during excavations carried out as part of the works conducted in order to restore and transform the area into an open-air museum. The Avenue of Sphinxes was the location for the procession of the Festival of Opet, which involved priests, royalty and the pious, who walked from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple. Some 1350 sphinxes, with human heads and lion bodies, were lined the 2700-metre-long avenue. It was built during the reign of Pharaoh Nectanebo I (379/8–361/0 BC) of the 30th Dynasty to replace an earlier one built in the 18th Dynasty, as recorded by Queen Hatshepsut (1502-1482 BC). Researchers are currently studying the Coptic tombstone in order to find out at which point in history it was erected at the site and who was the deceased person.

(after Ahram Online)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.