The Artistic Creativity Center at Prince Taz Palace hosted a cultural meeting on Tuesday evening with Egyptologist Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, former Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The event was organized by Dr. Zahi Hawass Foundation in cooperation with the Cultural Development Fund Sector headed by architect Hamdi Al-Satouhi, under the title “Sweetened by the Sweetness of Victory,” as part of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s celebrations of the glorious October Victory, under the slogan “Egypt Rejoiced in Victory.”

The evening witnessed a large attendance of young people and archaeology enthusiasts. Abdel-Maqsoud spoke about the discovery of Egypt’s eastern gate and the ancient Horus Road, describing it as the key route for the Egyptian army’s crossing in the October 1973 victory.

During the meeting, Abdel-Maqsoud reviewed the history of archaeological discoveries in North Sinai, starting with the first mission of the International Suez Canal Company led by the Frenchman Jean Cleida during the canal excavation. The canal was originally planned to pass through El-Qantara and Ramana to shorten the canal by about 15 km. However, the discovery of antiquities in the area led to a change in the route after finding the course of the “Pelusi” branch of the Nile River.

He also discussed the attempts by archaeologist Flinders Petrie in 1937 and the excavations carried out by the Egypt Exploration Society. Abdel-Maqsoud explained that between 1956 and 1967, Israeli interest in the area was significant, searching for the places of the wandering of Prophet Moses in the Sinai Desert. During this period, 35 missions involving about 2,000 researchers conducted unauthorized surveys to prove a connection to the alleged Israeli history.

He pointed out that former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan personally participated in the archaeological excavations, and his group included the most important stolen artifacts, including Byzantine-era relics.

Abdel-Maqsoud clarified that the Peace Canal project in North Sinai is the second most important project in rescuing Egyptian antiquities after the Nubian monuments rescue project. He reviewed the most important castles and forts on Egypt’s eastern gate, numbering 11, the most famous being the Pelusium Castle – Tel El-Farma, which included 40 war towers and the largest Roman theater destroyed by occupation. He noted that the inscriptions of King Seti I in the Karnak Temple in Luxor represent the same important road that the Egyptian army crossed in the 1973 epic.

The meeting concluded with Abdel-Maqsoud confirming that the recovery of 1,800 boxes of antiquities after the first and second Gulf Wars represents 1,800 archaeological sites from Sinai preserved until now in the warehouses of El-Qantara East city.