Egypt completes revival of 3,000-year-old gold mining city at Jabal Sukari on Red Sea

Nevine El-Aref , Tuesday 25 Feb 2025

The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has completed the revival of the 3,000-year-old gold mining city recently uncovered at Jabal Sukari, southwest of Marsa Alam City in the Red Sea Governorate.

This ambitious initiative lasted two years and was carried out in partnership with the Sukari Gold Mine administration.

It complied with all relevant legal and administrative protocols, and the Permanent Committee for Ancient Egyptian Antiquities approved it.

The project entailed extensive archaeological excavations, documentation, and restoration efforts to safeguard the architectural elements uncovered at the site.

To ensure their preservation, the structures were carefully relocated three kilometres north of their original location, beyond the boundaries of the modern mining zone at Sukari Mine.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy expressed his enthusiasm for the discoveries, emphasizing the ministry's dedication to preserving Egypt's cultural heritage while supporting national development and economic progress.

"Excavations revealed a 3,000-year-old gold processing complex. The facility featured grinding and crushing stations, filtration and sedimentation basins, and ancient clay furnaces used for smelting the gold extracted from quartz veins," SCA Secretary-General Mohamed Ismail Khaled said.

Moreover, archaeologists discovered a residential district once inhabited by gold miners. This district included remains of homes, workshops, temples, administrative buildings, and bathhouses dating back to the Ptolemaic era.

Architectural remains from the Roman and Islamic periods were also found, underscoring the site's enduring historical significance.

The excavation yielded 628 ostraca inscribed with hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek texts and a collection of Ptolemaic bronze coins.

Additional findings included terracotta figurines depicting human and animal forms from the Graeco-Roman period and a collection of stone statuettes representing deities such as Bastet and Harpocrates.

Furthermore, archaeologists found five Ptolemaic offering tables, a diverse collection of pottery vessels used for daily life, perfumes, medicines, incense, beads made from semi-precious stones, and decorative items crafted from seashells.

"It is a significant discovery because it expands our understanding of ancient Egyptian mining techniques," Khaled expressed.

He explained that the findings offer invaluable insights into gold miners' social, religious, and economic lives in historical desert settlements.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Antiquities Sector head Mohamed Abdel-Badie said: "All the unearthed architectural elements of the city were relocated to a neighbouring location, spanning six kilometres north of the ancient city's original location along six feddans, to preserve the site's historical significance."

A visitor centre has also been established. It features large display screens showcasing the excavation process and findings and informational panels detailing the region's historical importance and the artefacts uncovered.