The topic

A major military road known as the Way of Horus ran along the northern coast of the Sinai Peninsula to link the ancient Egyptian Delta with the eastern Mediterranean and west Asia. From at least as far back as the Old Kingdom, this region required policing against invaders and regulation of incoming traffic, making the Sinai a logical location for a network of forts.

Working at the site of Tell Heboua in the fall of 2025 under the direction of Dr. Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud, the Egyptian mission of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities made news worldwide by discovering a previously unknown fortress from the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC). This site, situated close to the Mediterranean coast and in the general area of other forts that had been excavated years ago in North Sinai, has been identified as the ancient Tjaru.

“It is the site that archaeologists have been searching for over a century, and we finally managed to uncover it through excavations using various classical methods as well as the latest scientific techniques, such as magnetic surveying,” says Dr. el-Maksoud.

Dating to the early 18th dynasty, the fort covers roughly two acres. “It is considered the largest ancient Egyptian fortress in Egypt and served as a strategic starting point for the Egyptian armies to secure Egypt’s eastern borders, beginning from the reign of King Ahmose I [through] Thutmose I and III, Seti I, and Ramesses II,” says Dr. el-Maksoud.

The archaeological team uncovered a 345-foot long stretch of the fortress’s northern wall as well as traces of palaces and temples, granaries and royal storerooms, and a lump of fossilized bread dough in an area of ovens. They also discovered the remains of 11 defensive towers, and a 246-foot long sinuous wall that formed the border of a residential area for soldiers.

Given the size of the fort, it is estimated that the facility may have housed between 400 and 700 men—a significant military presence.

This project is still in its early stages. Work will continue to uncover the rest of the fortress and its features in upcoming seasons, offering more information about pharaonic power and ancient Egypt’s military organization.

This presentation, by Dr. Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud, is the first report to follow the press release, so please register early to secure your place.

Email us at arce.dc.news at gmail dot com for a link to register for this online event.

Our talks typically last an hour—50 minutes for the lecture, 10 minutes for Q+A.

Alert: We do not allow recording or imaging of our presentations in any way.

The speaker

Dr. Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud is director of the excavations for the project uncovering the forts along the ancient Way of Horus in North Sinai, including the recent discovery at Tell Heboua. He is also responsible for the preparation and authorship of the encyclopedia project of Sinai excavations. He earned a PhD from the University of Lille in France with a thesis entitled “Ancient Egyptian Castles on the Ancient Road Between Egypt and Palestine.” Over the course of his long career, he has directed many excavations, most especially in the Delta and North Sinai.