Free Republic

An ancient cave decorated with distinguished engravings depicting scenes of animals has been discovered at Wadi Al-Zulma in North Sinai. "The newly discovered cave is the first of its kind to be discovered in the area," said Aymen Ashmawi, head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities sector at the Ministry of Antiquities. Ashmawi explained that the scenes carved inside the cave are completely different from those found in South Sinai, having a special artistic style that resembles raised relief in execution. Studies are underway to determine their date. Hisham Hussein, head of the discovery mission, said that most of the discovered...

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the ruins of an ancient fortress dating to the 26th Dynasty, the last dynasty in which native Egyptians ruled before the Persians conquered the country in 525 B.C., according to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. Researchers uncovered parts of the mud-brick stronghold -- including the northeastern and southeastern towers -- at the Tell El-Kedwa site in North Sinai. Previously, in 2008, archaeologists had excavated the military citadel's eastern wall, but the fortress is so large, it took until now to unearth more of its remains... Curiously, the old citadel also has chambers full of sand,...

Excavations carried out by an Egyptian mission at the Tel Abu Seify archaeological site in Northern Sinai uncovered the remains of a limestone building that was once a workshop for the construction and repair of boats and vessels during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The site is said to have been the location of the Roman fortress of Silla. Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the workshop includes two dry dockyards where ships were built or repaired. But regretfully, along the span of time as the workshop lost its function, after the Nile branch...

A U.S. citizen detained in Egypt for violating curfew in August was found dead Sunday in his jail cell, the second foreigner to die in detention in recent weeks. ... Security officials identified the man as James Henry, 66, a retired U.S. Army officer who arrived in Cairo from the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain on Aug. 25. Henry was detained by army troops in the turbulent region of northern Sinai three days later while making his way to the border crossing with Gaza in the town of Rafah

Egyptian security services arrested on Wednesday a retired U.S. officer and 12 jihadis in Sheikh Zuwayed, North Sinai, German news agency DPA quoted a security source as saying. The U.S. national possessed documents, some including information on Sinai. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. officer is being interrogated by authorities in Arish without giving further details on the documents or circumstances of the arrest. The American national arrested on Tuesday was referred to a military prosecutor in Ismailia to be interrogated, said a security source. A 55-year old American called James Henry was previously arrested, and...