'Massive' Ancient Egyptian building unearthed near Cairo

'Massive' Ancient Egyptian building unearthed near Cairo
An Ancient Egyptian building with an attached Roman bath and a ritual chamber has been unearthed in a town south of Cairo.
1 min read
The building was likely part of an ancient residential block [Ministry of Antiquities via AP]

Archaeologists in the Egyptian town of Mit Rahina, located 12 miles south of Cairo, have discovered a "massive" ancient building that includes a large Roman bath and a chamber likely for religious rituals.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities, said the building is likely part of the residential block of the area, which was the Ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis.

The ancient city, founded around 3,100 BC, was home to Menes, the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt.

Archaeologists in Egypt have so far this year excavated a number of relics that include a 4,400-year-old tomb at the Giza plateau and an ancient necropolis in Minya, south of Cairo.

Authorities hope that new archaeological finds will help revive the country's struggling tourism industry, which has suffered due to the turmoil that followed the toppling of former dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

According to official data, Egypt received 8.3 million visitors in 2017, a figure dwarfed by the 2010 pre-revolution figure of 14.7 million.