Sphinx during excavation

Swedish Ambassador to Egypt, H.E. Jan Thesleff, visits Gebel el-Silsila

by | Feb 3, 2019

The Swedish-Egyptian mission at Gebel el-Silsila, led by Dr. Maria Nilsson and John Ward (Lund University), under the supervision of Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Mr. Abdel Moniem, General Director of Aswan and Nubia Inspectorate, has discovered a New Kingdom sandstone workshop and several sculptures during their excavations.
Returning to a calmer, sunlit site the following day, H.E. Ambassador Thesleff and Mr. Ahmed Ismail were accompanied by Mr. Abdel Moniem, General Director of Aswan and Nubia, Mr. Khaled Shawky, Director of Abu Simbel, Mr. Mostafa Badawi, representative for the Kom Ombo Inspectorate, Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Inspector of Gebel el-Silsila, and Mdm Zienab, representing the Kom Ombo Museum.
The team was incredibly honoured to show the most recent discoveries in the 18th Dynasty cemetery, which marked the start of a lovely walk through the marvellous landscape of Gebel el-Silsila. Walking eastwards, there were glimpses of a unique Epipalaeolithic Rock Art panel and some bushy tailed giraffes characteristic for the Predynastic period, below which is a quarry (Q7) belonging to the period of Amenhotep III-IV, crowned by the famous stele of Amenhotep IV presenting offerings to Amun-Re.
The walk continued into the subterranean galleries of the same period, leading to another site of new discoveries this season: the “Fallen Monuments’ Quarry” (Q15). For those interested, the discoveries will be released soon, and the start of the excavations was filmed by a UK production company earlier this year to be aired during the spring!
The group returned to the cemetery, and H.E. Ambassador Thesleff was shown the waterlogged tomb that reached the news recently. Meanwhile Chef Abdalla John had prepared a fabulous lunch, which everyone shared on site. It was a great honour for the international mission to personally introduce each one of our fabulous Egyptian workers, without whom none of the work on site would be possible. Sharing lunch together, side by side, was a great reminder of how close this great Silsila family is!
As a final stop before ending this great visit, PhD scholar Moamen Saad shared his latest research of the magnificent Nile stelae and chapels, which after this season’s excavations have revealed more information and architectural elements (once destroyed or buried during an ancient earthquake!).
The team would like to express its deepest gratitude to H.E. Ambassador Thesleff and Mr. Ahmed Ismail, as well as all the representatives from the Egyptian Antiquity Ministry, for honouring us with their visit, making a great contribution towards strengthening the ties between Sweden and Egypt. On behalf of all the people represented in the images, we would also like to express our thankfulness towards our awesome photographers, without whom we would not be able to share these glimpses. Thank you Mr. Robert Mittelstaedt (our chief photographer), Mr. Ahmed Monsour (Reis), PhD scholar Moamen Saad, and archaeologist Trisha Coletto! An extra thank you dear Abdalla Ali/John for presenting two great dinners for us to share!
Silsila project official

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