3,500-Year-Old Egyptian Royal Retreat Found in the Sinai Desert

The remnants of a 3,500-year-old ‘royal fortified rest area’ have been uncovered by an Egyptian mission at the Tel Habwa archaeological site in the Northern Sinai Archaeological Area. Constructed of mud brick, it is believed to be one of the royal palaces situated near the Eastern Gate of Egypt, likely built to accommodating ancient Egyptian forces, and perhaps even royalty, during the reign of Thutmose III (1479 to 1425 BC).

A Mediterranean Conquest, A Royal Decree

During this period, ancient Egyptian rulers frequently embarked on military expeditions into the eastern Mediterranean. One of the common routes utilized by Egyptian troops to access this region was through the Sinai desert. This was clearly a strategic location for housing and provisioning troops as they traversed through the Sinai en-route to military campaigns, as the site includes the presence of a royal palace to house the king.

"It is likely that this building had been used as a royal respite due to the architectural planning of the building and the scarcity of pottery fractures [broken pottery] inside," the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a translated statement shared on their Facebook page. The Egyptian Archaeological Mission, operating at the Tel Habwa (Tharo) Archaeological Site, made this discovery during excavations as part of the Sinai Development Project.

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The cartouches of Thutmose III, which allows archaeologists to tie this royal retreat to a specific Egyptian pharaoh. (Live Science / Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Archaeology, highlighted that initial scientific analyses conducted on the artifacts found within the building indicate its origins dating back to the reign of King Thutmose III of the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom era. The architectural layout and the scarcity of pottery fragments inside suggest that this structure likely served as a royal retreat.

The building’s layout comprises two consecutive rectangular halls, along with several adjoining rooms. The main entrance, located on the north side, leads to the first hall, flanked by three limestone columns.

Another smaller hall, with entrances on the east and west sides, connects to the first hall. This smaller hall features two limestone columns at its center, and stone thresholds mark its entrances. The second hall leads to two separate rooms, each facing east and west, and connected to the second hall by entrances positioned opposite each other.

Furthermore, the mission identified stone thresholds for the room entrances, along with a series of smaller attached rooms adjacent to the eastern side of the building, reports Live Science.

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The head of Thutmose III, known as a warrior pharaoh, who is believed to have built the Egyptian Royal Retreat at Tel Habwa (Grafton Elliot Smith / Public Domain)

Professor Ramadan Helmy, Director of the North Sinai Archaeology Region and Head of the Mission, explained that the building's dating was established through the analysis of stratigraphic layers, pottery fragments found nearby, and the discovery of two inscribed cranes bearing the name of Thutmose III.

These findings suggest the building was used during the king's military campaigns to expand the Egyptian Empire eastward. Subsequently, the structure was fortified with a perimeter wall, featuring a main gate facing east.

The 3,400-year-old rest house located at Tel Habwa marks the beginning of the ancient route known as the "Horus Road," as per Egypt’s State Information Service. This historic road, stretching from Egypt through the Sinai Peninsula and into the Gaza Strip, was strategically important and lined with fortifications and military installations. Tel Habwa, also referred to as Tharu, now stands as an archaeological site along the Suez Canal in Qantara Sharq, approximately 100 miles northeast of Cairo, reports Miami Herald.

Recent photographs reveal the remnants of this ancient rest house, shedding light on its significance in understanding ancient Egyptian military history. Archaeologists note that the structure was later fortified and repurposed as a cemetery, with some of the graves containing the remains of children.

Sifting Through the Layers: Archaeological Grading

It was also revealed that during the Third Intermediate Period, from the Twenty-First Dynasty to the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty, the site served as a burial ground, with various types of locally made pottery discovered in different layers, indicating the interment of children.

Previous excavation seasons uncovered burials within graves constructed from reused architectural elements, such as lintels, doors, and engraved stone blocks featuring landscapes and royal insignias from the New Kingdom era. However, it has been determined that all burials, including those from previous seasons, date back to the Third Intermediate Period.

Moreover, three consecutive layers of important buildings dating to the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty have been revealed, along with foundation deposits containing artifacts, including a small painted stela bearing the name of King Amos II, also known as Amazis, one of the late kings of the dynasty!

Professor Spalinger, a professor emeritus of classics and ancient history at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, spoke to  Live Science, and offered a counter. Though not involved in the research, he expressed reservations regarding definitively attributing the rest house to the reign of Thutmose III.

He pointed out that the surrounding stratigraphy indicates later periods, and the presence of a cartouche released by the team also suggests a later timeframe. Spalinger emphasized the necessity for further information to ascertain the period of use for the building. He also suggested that it's uncertain whether the pharaoh himself utilized this rest house.

Top image: The Egyptian Royal Retreat is along a well-used military route and would have been a convenient place of rest for the pharaoh when campaigning east. Source: Live Science / Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

By Sahir Pandey