Archaeologists have found a bust of pharaoh Ramses II in Egypt's Nile Delta
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A handout picture provided by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities shows a bust believed to be that of pharoah Ramses II (1279-1213 BC), discovered during recent routine archaeological excavation in Tell Basta, about 80 kms northeast of Cairo.
(AFP/HO)Ramses II bust found in Egypt
CAIRO (AFP) – Archaeologists have found the bust of pharaoh Ramses II in Egypt's Nile Delta, Culture Minister Faruq Hosni said Wednesday, bringing experts closer to finding a temple belonging to the king.
The red granite bust, which formed part of a colossal statue of the king, was found during routine excavations in the Tell Basta area, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Cairo in the Nile Delta, Hosni said in a statement.
"The head is 76 cm high (around 30 inches), the nose is broken, and the false beard that was once attached to the king's chin is missing," antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass said.
"The discovery is important because it may indicate that the excavators are close to the ruins of a major temple of Ramses II in the area," Hawass said.
Tell Basta is going through a major development plan, according to Egyptian officials, who say that a museum and a visitor's centre are currently under construction in the area.
Ramses II reigned over Egypt for about 68 years, from 1304 to 1237 BC, and is believed to have lived to the age of 90.
He covered the country with monuments to his exploits. His mummy, on display in Cairo's National Museum, is one of the country's biggest tourist attractions.
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Tourists cast their shadows on the statue of Ramses II inside the Temple of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt. Masked bandits have kidnapped a group of foreign tourists, including Germans, Italians and a Romanian, in a remote desert in southwestern Egypt, officials have said.
(AFP/File/Khaled Desouki)
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