Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed an ancient city that is estimated to be more than 7 thousand years old. Buildings, tools, household and kitchen utensils, as well as huge tombs were found at the site.
The city was located on the banks of the Nile, near the temple of Pharaoh Seti I in Abydos.
According to experts, the size of the 15 tombs discovered in this place indicates the high social status of those who were buried in them.
The city is believed to have been home to high-ranking officials and tomb builders. Its heyday fell on the early eras in the history of Ancient Egypt.
Experts hope that the discovery of the ancient city could give impetus to the restoration of Egypt's tourism industry, which has been in decline since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and the period of political instability and turmoil that followed.
Archaeologists working on the excavations of the ancient city have already made a number of interesting finds, including preserved buildings, fragments of crockery and various tools made of metal and stone.
However, as pointed out by BBC columnist Alan Johnston, the most significant was the discovery of huge tombs. Some of them are even larger than the tombs of the pharaohs located nearby.
The history of the city is believed to date back to 5316 BC.
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In all likelihood, the inhabitants of the city were involved in the construction of the tombs of the rulers in the nearby holy city of Abydos, where many temples were located. Abydos served as the capital during the early period of Egyptian history.
As the BBC correspondent notes, the discovery of this city was exciting news, and not only for the archaeologists of today's Egypt.
Its opening coincided with a vigorous effort by the Egyptian authorities to revitalize the tourism industry, which is extremely important to the country's economy, but is in serious decline due to political turmoil and Islamist attacks.