Underground passage Beneath Egyptian Temple Might Lead To Where Cleopatra Was Buried

North View of Taposiris Magna Osiris Temple where the last ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra is believed to have been buried. Image | Koantao, Wikipedia | CC-BY-4.0 | Enhanced by Donald Standeford.

By Matt Pepple, SJ Correspondent
November 17, 2022 11:00 pm UTC
Modified: 2022-11-17 11:00 pm

EGYPT - A below-ground underpass was newly uncovered which could show the way to the burial place of the Egyptian female ruler, Cleopatra. Ancient Origins published the announcement Saturday night, using the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities ministry as its source.

Dr. Kathleen Martinez is the leader of the Egyptian-Dominican archaeological Mission of the University of San Domingo and is credited with this significant Find, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.

The tunnel extended a length of just above 1,300 meters and was located 13 meters beneath the Taposiris Magna Temple, westward of Alexandria in Egypt. 

From the time of the finding, the shaft was in the midst of an investigation to locate the crypt.

The Egyptian house of worship had been devoted to the Egyptian deity Osiris; and was revered by Greek dignitaries who lived in Egypt at the time of its development, within the years 280 and 270 BC.

Alongside some of the different discoveries established by the archaeological vocation were clay jars, pans, and two alabaster head sculptures, one recorded from the Ptolemaic age which was between 332–30 BC.

A section of the underground passage was affirmed to be immersed in water. Ancient Origins said that the investigative group thinks the Taposiris Magna Temple's cornerstones are also submerged from several seismic tremors that struck the Egyptian shoreline between 320 and 1303 AD.

As the leader of the dig at the Egyptian house of worship, Dr. Martinez said that many of the findings made by herself, made her positive that she is in close proximity to Cleopatra's crypt and also that of Mark Antony, Cleopatra's husband.

According to Wikipedia, Cleopatra lived from early 69BC to August 10th, 30BC, she was 39 when she died and reigned from 51-30 BC, some 21 years. She was the last active Pharaoh of ancient Egypt before it was conquered and annexed by Rome in 30 BC. 

Cleopatra was also the head of the religious jurisdiction in her kingdom and supervised spiritual services devoted to the gods of both Greek and Egyptian religions.

She was well known for her relationship with the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, as well as Mark Antony later in life.