The Director General of Antiquities for East Delta and Canal Cities in Egypt, Rizk Diab, confirmed that excavations underway at Tell al-Faraoun in the city of al-Husseiniya, Sharqiya Governorate, have unearthed a colossal six-ton statue of King Ramses II within the walls of an ancient temple at the site. During a phone interview on Extra News channel on Thursday, Diab said that this discovery reflects the great historical importance of the area. The statue is currently undergoing meticulous restoration work, he added, including strengthening the stone, removing salts, and highlighting its artistic details.
Diab indicated that the location for its display has not yet been decided, as the Museum Display Committee of the Supreme Council of Antiquities will select a suitable site, whether in major museums or at Tell Basta Museum in Zagazig, Sharqiya. Studies have proven the site contains a group of temples dating back to different periods of ancient Egyptian history, he explained, including one from the reign of King Ramses II and another from the reign of King Ahmose II – with the possibility of additions from the Ptolemaic period. Excavations have been ongoing in the area for about a year and a half, covering approximately three acres, and are being carried out according to a precise scientific methodology that involves dividing the site into a grid of squares and using stratified excavation techniques to uncover the artifacts.
This latest discovery is not the first major finding at the site, he noted, as a complete stela of King Ptolemy III – known as the Decree of Canopus – was previously found there. Edited translation from Al-Masrt Al-Youm