CAIRO: Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny announced the discovery of a garrison town’s ruins near Ismailia. The fortified town, dating back to the era of King Bsmatik I (664-525 BC), served as a military installation built to impede invasions from other regions.
This medley of architectural royal commemoration with military defense appeared before in Egyptian history.
Zahi Hawas, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained in statemen that Ramses II, the third king to rule during the 19th Dynasty (1279-1212 BC), chose a burial site that was defensive of the Easter borders of Egypt.
King Bsmatik I (664-525 BC), a prime member of the 26th dynasty, set up his vast fort to serve as military protection from neighboring countries: Ethiopia on one side and Libya on the other.
The uncovered fort measures 625 m x 380 m, and is surrounded by a wall of 13 m, according to Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, director of the Lower Egypt Archaeology Department. This makes it one of the largest discovered forts in the East Delta. – Daily News Egypt
