The last of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra VII, was the last queen of Ancient Egypt. Her life and death are shrouded in a train of legends and myths. No one can say for sure whether the great Cleopatra died from anything in particular, or where she was buried. Perhaps the latest find by archaeologists will provide accurate answers to both of these questions. Indeed, recently in Egypt, scientists have discovered a tomb, which, as they believe, belongs to this very famous woman.
Cleopatra was born in 69 BC. She died, presumably, of a poisonous snakebite in 30 AD. The queen ruled Egypt for thirty years. Two thousand years have passed since that time, and this woman still remains one of the most enchanting and mysterious figures in history. Her life inspired many writers and filmmakers to create their works about this great Egyptian queen.
Images of the legendary Queen Cleopatra.
Cleopatra was a brilliantly educated and very intelligent woman. She was also a good and calculating politician. The Queen of Egypt was able to twist as she wanted with such great men as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
The era of Cleopatra ended when Octavian, who later became known as Augustus Caesar, laid siege to Alexandria. Mark Antony was told that his beloved committed suicide and he threw himself on his sword, also taking his own life. Later it turned out that he was deceived. Cleopatra buried her beloved, met with the winner, Octavian. He put her under house arrest. Octavian wanted to keep Cleopatra alive, but she managed, being locked, somehow to commit suicide.
Posthumous portrait of Queen Cleopatra.
Historians are still at a loss as to which of the theories about her death is correct. The ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch believed that Cleopatra died from a snakebite. The only thing known about the tomb of the queen is that at her request they were buried together with their beloved, Mark Antony. The exact location of this place has remained a mystery to this day.
A new archaeological discovery could change this state of affairs. Researchers of the Dominican Archaeological Mission have been carrying out excavations in the temple of Taposiris Magna for many years, where they have discovered many ancient most valuable artifacts dating back to the era of Cleopatra.
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Dr. Kathleen Martinez suggests that it is here, in this temple, that Antony and Cleopatra are buried. Taposiris Magna is the sanctuary of Isis and Osiris. The embodiment of these gods and considered them with her beloved Antony, Cleopatra. The temple is located just forty-five kilometers from Alexandria. By all accounts, the tomb with mummies in the temple may quite logically belong to the Egyptian queen and the Roman general.
South side of the Temple of Osiris and Isis at Taposiris Magna.
North side of the Temple of Taposiris Magna.
Among other things, again, Plutarch writes about Taposiris Magna in his writings that it was a magnificent sanctuary. Here were held grandiose mysteries in honor of the main gods of Egypt. The Roman historian Strabo wrote that Alexander the Great himself stayed in this place at one time. This temple, quite obviously, was a very significant, holy place in those days. This is another argument in favor of the fact that it was here that the great Cleopatra found her last refuge.
It was here, according to archaeologists, that Queen Cleopatra found her last refuge.
The city was built over two thousand years ago. Radar surveys of the area revealed a whole network of corridors and tunnels, as well as three structures that could be mausoleums. Twenty-seven tombs and 10 mummies were found in the area around the temple, which may add weight to Dr. Martinez's theory, as the nobility sought to be buried alongside their rulers.
A team of archaeologists have found one undisturbed tomb covered in gold leaf. It is she who is considered the final resting place of the great Cleopatra. Dr. Martinez has always held to the theory that the queen and her lover are buried under the temple of Isis and Osiris. Scientists believe that the couple's mausoleum is located here, in the royal area of Alexandria.
During their exploration of the temple, Martinez and her team found a statue that they believed represented lovers in an embrace, an alabaster queen's head and twenty-two coins bearing Cleopatra on them. Also, during excavations, archaeologists found a ceramic mask under the sanctuary of Isis, which could be the death mask of Mark Antony. More details about the location of Cleopatra's grave are expected in the near future.
Statue of Queen Cleopatra.
Many extremely interesting finds were made by the Dominican expedition during the excavation of the temple. One of them is a unique stele with hieroglyphic and demotic inscriptions. This stele belongs to the era of the reign of Ptolemy V. As you know, it was during his reign that a decree was issued, which was carved on the famous Rosetta stone, which, in turn, became the key to unraveling the mystery of decoding the Egyptian hieroglyphs. This great discovery was made at one time by the French historian-Egyptologist Jean-Francois Champollion.