CAIRO, EGYPT—Egypt’s Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty announced that the foundations of a 3,000-year-old fortress have been found at Tell Habua, near the Suez Canal. The fort had been part of a defensive line of fortresses and military cities. “The discovery is significant as it reflects the details of the ancient Egyptian military history. It is a model example of ancient Egypt’s military architecture, as well as the Egyptian war strategies through different ages, for the protection of the entirety of Egypt,” archaeologist Mohammed Abdel-Maqsoud told The Cairo Post. The fort was part of the Horus Military Route, which protected Egypt’s eastern front. Five of the 11 forts that made up the route, described on the walls of the Karnak Temple in Luxor, have been found. “The route was fortified by two parallel walls, followed by 11 fortresses acting as early alert points before the arrival of any conquering army to the strategically located Tharu Fortress. In the same area there was an economic society, indicating that it had been a commercial and customs zone where taxes were collected before reaching the Delta,” Maqsoud elaborated. To read in-depth about ancient Egyptian animal mummies, see "Messengers to the Gods."
