Cleopatra's Tomb Found? 4,800 Feet Tunnel of Rock May Lead to Remains of Egypt's Last Pharaoh and Lover Mark Antony

Archaeologists have found a tunnel carved through layers of rock beneath the ancient Taposiris Magna Temple in Egypt, which they think could lead to Cleopatra's tomb. Kathleen Martinez, an archaeologist from the University of San Domingo, has been convinced that Egypt's last pharaoh and her lover Mark Anthony were laid to rest within the temple.

MailOnline reports that Martinez believes it is likely that Cleopatra is buried there and that the tunnel could be the path to this discovery. If she is indeed correct, then finding the remains of the last pharaoh of Egypt will be the most important discovery of the 21st century.

A Geometric Miracle That Might Lead to the Tomb of Egypt's Last Pharaoh

The Taposiris Magna Temple, which translates to the 'great tomb of Osiris,' is located near Egypt's previous capital city Alexandria. Archaeologists hope that the uncovered vast underground tunnel leads to the long-lost tomb of Egypt's last pharaoh, the famous Queen Cleopatra VII.

The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry of the country said that the 0.8-mile (1.3-kilometer) long tunnel was cut into the rock beneath the ancient temple. It is located 43 feet or 13 meters underground, which the ministry describes as a "geometric miracle" that may lead to Cleopatra's resting place.

Dominican-Egyptian archaeological mission from the University of San Domingo conducted the excavation headed by Martinez who told Heritage Key that they hope to find Cleopatra's tomb at the site even if there is only a 1% chance that the last queen of Egypt is buried there.

This is the first time that archaeologists found tunnels, passages, and underground inside an enclosure of walls of the temple, changing current knowledge in archaeology. Martinez and her team may be on the right track of uncovering Cleopatra's tomb.

Teams working on the site found that a part of the tunnel was submerged under the Mediterranean. They believe that the Taposiris Magna Temple's foundation may also be underwater given that at least 23 earthquakes hit the country's coast between 320 AD and 1303 AD.

Unearthing Notable Artifacts From the Tunnel

Cleopatra is the queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 BC to 30 BC upon her death when Rome took over the land. According to The Times of Israel, Cleopatra's death also marked the end of the Hellenistic period.

Cleopatra's love affairs and struggle with the Roman dictator Julius Caesar and politician Mark Antony have significantly impacted the course of Egyptian and Roman history. Even William Shakespear has written about the great love of Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Martinez has been working at the Taposiris Magna Temple and has been actively looking for the lost tomb of Cleopatra for 15 years. Aside from the tunnel they recently uncovered, they also found several notable artifacts under the temple, such as coins bearing the names of Queen Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, and the statues of the Egyptian goddess Isis.

Previous excavations at the site also revealed some mummies with golden tongues and a cemetery with mummies facing the temple. They were laid there undisturbed for 2,000 years and are in a poor state of preservation as water had seeped into the tomb. Martinez said that these findings are signs that a royal tomb is located nearby.

To date, the most famous archeological find considered by many is the tomb of King Tutankhamun, which was found over a century ago. But finding Cleopatra's tomb will change that.

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