Tuna El-Gebel Necropolis is an important historical site in Al Minya Governorate. The ancient Egyptians considered it the center of worshiping the god Thoth or Djhuty, the god of wisdom and knowledge in ancient Egyptian civilization.
Let’s have a tour of Tuna El-Gebel Necropolis in Al Minya Governorate. Firstly, you should know about the history of this city. It is believed that the first use of it was during King Akhenaten’s period, when he transferred the main capital of ancient Egypt from Thebes to Akhetaten, near Tuna El-Gebel. The evidence for that they found a boundary stele depicting King Akhenaten with his wife Nefertiti and his daughters worshipping the god Aten.
But the golden age of Tuna El-Gebel was during the Greco-Roman period, as it was the necropolis of Ashmonin city. It houses approximately 60 burial houses depicting a mixture of ancient Egyptian art and Greco-Roman art.
- Tomb of Isadora is one of these tombs. Isadora has a dramatic story as she is called the first martyr of love due to her drowning in the Nile River while crossing to meet her fiancé. Her father lamented her with a poem. You can find it in the tomb.
Tomb of Petosiris is another tomb belonging to the high priest of the god Thoth during the Ptolemaic period. What is impressive about this tomb is it was designed as a temple. You should visit it.
The third attraction in Tuna El-Gebel is the Catacombs of Ibis. As we said, Tuna El-Gebel was the center of worshiping the god Thoth, so it contains catacombs to bury its sacred animals like baboons and ibises.
