Egypt’s Tanis Archaeological Site to Be Turned into Open-Air Museum

Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has announced that an Egyptian-French project is to transform the historical city of Tanis into an open-air museum, according to Egypt Today.

Located in San Al Hagar in the Sharqiya governorate, Tanis is the site of numerous archaeological discoveries, including several temple ruins, including the chief temple of Amun. One of the most famous discoveries in the area was that of the Decree of Canopus, an inscription tied closely to the Rosetta Stone that was also written in hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek texts.

It is believed that Tanis is also referred to in the Biblical story of Moses, with the city of Zoan considered a reference to Tanis. It was even featured in 1981 Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, as the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.

As for the open-air museum project, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, revealed that a visitor's centre will be established, alongside other services, included a curated path that will take tourists to the key sites. The Ministry of Antiquities is also repairing and assembling two obelisks, which will remain as part of the museum.