Cleopatra's tomb discovered, says Egyptian archaeologists

Archaeologists in Egypt believe they have discovered the burial place of Cleopatra and her lover, Mark Anthony. They found a columned entrance to a temple in Alexandria and think it may contain the remains of the famous and beautiful Egyptian Queen. Excavation is now underway on a chamber where they may be entombed.

An Egyptian-Dominican team made the discovery at the temple of Taposiris Magna, west of the coastal city of Alexandria.

The team began its work five years ago in an attempt to locate the tomb of the well-known lovers Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Kathleen Martinez, Dominican Archaeologist, said, "This is one of my main goals is to this shaft, and we have a special wincher machine we designed, and we are going down 35 meters just since last week. And we are expecting there to have important news."

The archaeologists have discovered a headless granite statue that is more than two-thousand years old.

The statue is believed to belong to King Ptolemy the fourth and represented the traditional shape of an ancient Egyptian King, wearing collar and kilt.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said, "The discovery of the entrance of the temple is very important, it can show that this temple was built exactly in the Pharaohnic style, and outside we should have other stands for sphinxes, that's really important discoveries in search of the beautiful, magical Queen, Queen Cleopatra."

Alexandria was the seat of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which ruled Egypt for three-hundred years, until Cleopatra's suicide.

Evidence suggests Cleopatra is not buried inside her tomb, which is now under the eastern harbor of Alexandria.

Source: CCTV.com