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History & Heritage

9.14.2022

Islamic coins discovered in northern Egypt

Archaeologists have just discovered a haul of Islamic coins in Egypt. The cache uncovered in the city of Esna contained coins from the Mamluk and Fatimid periods of the country.

A team of Egyptian archaeologists discovered a cache of coins dating from the reigns of several Islamic rulers, along with parts of the coin molds used to mint them and a large weight that would have been used to weigh them.

This is an important discovery because it suggests the existence of a coin minting workshop in the area, which the team, dispatched by the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities, is currently trying to locate, said the secretary general of the Council, Mostafa Waziri, in a statement.

The coins were found in the town of Esna, about 55 kilometers south of Luxor, on the west bank of the Nile. The mission began digging in the area last year at a spot behind the Temple of Esna, the city’s most visited ancient relic.

 

 

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Une publication partagée par Goh Gallery (@coin_museum)

Coins of various origins

The current haul includes a gold coin dating from the reign of Al Muizz li-Din Allah Al Fatimi, a Fatimid ruler whose name was given to one of Cairo’s most famous streets. 286 silver coins were also uncovered, dating from the reign of 19 different kings and sultans of the Mamluk period (1250-1517).

But that is not all. Many foreign coins were also discovered, such as an Armenian coin minted during the reign of King Levon II, contemporary with the Mamluk period, as well as a group of bronze and copper coins from the Ottoman period.

Published on 14 September 2022

#archeology

#Egypt

#Heritage