Abusir in Egypt

Abusir

Absur is located west of Alexandria on the road to Mersa Matruh. The village has some ancient building from the time of the Ptolemaic rule. These include the Taposiris Magna, dedicated to Osiris, but all that remains is the outer walls and pylons. Apparently animals were worshipped at the temple, as there is an animal necropolis nearby. Inside the walls of the temple are the remains of a Christian church. Near the church, one also finds the remains of some public baths, a seawall, quays and a bridge reported to have been built by Justinian. There are also the remains of the Burg el-Arab, known as the Arab Tower to the North. Though now ruined, it has a square base surmounted by an Octagonal structure and then a round story. Built by Ptolemy II Phiadelphus, the tower was said to be a scale duplicate of the famous Pharos Lighthouse.

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