Cairo (AFP)

New archaeological treasures, including a mortuary temple dating back more than 2,500 years, have been discovered in the Saqqara necropolis, located south of Cairo, Egyptian authorities said on Saturday.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, these "major discoveries" made by a team of archaeologists led by the famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass also include more than fifty sarcophagi.

These wooden sarcophagi dating from the New Kingdom (16th-11th century BC) were found in 52 funeral pits ten to twelve meters deep, the ministry said in a statement.

"The funeral temple of Queen Naert, wife of King Teti", as well as three brick warehouses were discovered, said Mr. Hawass, quoted in the statement.

The site of Saqqara, where there are ten pyramids, ancient monasteries or animal burial sites, is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to Zahi Hawass, this discovery could provide additional information on the history of Saqqara during the New Kingdom.

These new archaeological treasures were found near the pyramid of King Teti, the first pharaoh of the 6th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.

Egypt announced in November the most important discovery of the year 2020: more than 100 intact sarcophagi.

The sealed wooden coffins, unveiled along with statues of deities, date back more than 2,500 years and are those of high officials from the Late and Ptolemaic period of ancient Egypt.

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said at the time that "Saqqara had not yet revealed" all of his secrets.

Cairo hopes these archaeological finds will boost tourism, a sector that has seen many difficulties from the 2011 revolution to the coronavirus pandemic.

The authorities hope to inaugurate in 2021 the "Great Egyptian Museum" on the Giza plateau, where the famous great pyramids and the Sphinx are located.

Numerous excavations have been carried out in recent years at Saqqara, also the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, one of the first constructions in ancient Egypt.

Archaeologists hope in particular to find there an old workshop for making wooden sarcophagi for mummies.

© 2021 AFP