Abusir, or Abousir (ancient Taposiris Magna) is a seaside town on the shore of Lake Mariout on the western extremity of Egypt's Nile delta. It is situated about 48 kilometres (30 mi) SW of Alexandria. Ruins of an ancient temple and an ancient replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria are to be seen here. As of 2009, it is also suspected to be the burial place of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony.[1][2][3]
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A series of tombs and the remains of a temple are found on a stony kurkar ridge,[4] wedged between the lake and the sea.
A well-preserved ancient tomb is thought to be a scaled-down model of the Alexandria Pharos. Known colloquially under various names — the Pharos of Abusir, the Abusir funerary monument and Burg al-Arab (Arab's Tower) — it consists of a 3-story tower, approximately 20 metres (66 ft) in height, with a square base, a hexagonal midsection and cylindrical upper section, like the building upon which it was apparently modeled. It dates to the reign of Ptolemy II (285–246 BC), and is therefore likely to have been built at about the same time as the Alexandria Pharos.
Based on remains of columns it seems to have been a Ptolemaic temple in Doric style. It was however replaced by a church in the fourth century. Today only the walled enclosure remains standing.[5] It was built in 287-289 B.C
Zahi Hawass and Kathleen Martinez have excavated the vicinity of the Temple of Isis since 2006. They found a carved male head and a partial mask, showing cleft chin reminiscent of Mark Antony, besides a stash of coins bearing the image of Cleopatra VII. Relying on these and the account of Plutarch, they believe that Cleopatra and Mark Antony are both buried in the vicinity, most likely below the Temple of Isis.[1]
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