Tanis Audio Guide

Ancient Tanis: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to the Lost City of Tanis

   Welcome to Tanis, also known today by its Arabic name, San al-Hagar. As you stand here in the northeastern Nile Delta, you are stepping into one of Egypt's most fascinating archaeological puzzles. Look around at the scattered granite blocks and colossal statues; this was once the twenty-first and twenty-second dynasty capital, a city built to rival the grandeur of Thebes in the south. For centuries, this site was swallowed by the silt of the Nile, turning it into a series of mysterious mounds known as tells. Today, you are exploring what was once a bustling port and a royal powerhouse that dominated Egypt for over 300 years.

2. 02

   A Monumental Collage

   One of the most surprising things about Tanis is that it is essentially a second-hand city. If you look closely at many of the obelisks and statues around you, you will see the name of Ramesses the Second. However, Ramesses reigned long before Tanis became a capital. When the nearby city of Pi-Ramesses was abandoned due to the silting up of its branch of the Nile, the kings of Tanis dismantled the old palaces and temples. They transported massive stone blocks, some weighing many tons, over 30 kilometers to build what you see here. It is one of history's greatest architectural collages, where nearly every stone has a secret previous life.

3. 03

   The Silver Pharaoh

   Deep within the temple walls, French archaeologist Pierre Montet made a world-shaking discovery in 1939: the royal necropolis. Unlike the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings who were buried in secret remote valleys, the kings here were buried right inside the temple precinct for security. Montet found the unlooted tomb of Psusennes the First, the so-called Silver Pharaoh. While Tutankhamun is famous for his gold, Psusennes was buried in a coffin of solid silver, a metal that was actually rarer and more precious than gold in ancient Egypt. Unfortunately, because this find happened just as World War Two was beginning, it never received the international fame it truly deserved.

4. 04

   Raiders of the Reality

   You might recognize the name Tanis from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Indiana Jones searches for the Ark of the Covenant. While the Nazi digs and the catastrophic sandstorm in the film are purely fictional, the real Tanis is just as dramatic. As you walk toward the Great Temple of Amun, notice the vastness of the sacred lake found in 2009. This lake, dedicated to the goddess Mut, was a place of ritual and purification. For a practical tip, remember that this site has very little shade; the best viewpoints of the sprawling ruins are from the higher mounds at the edge of the precinct, and it is best to visit in the early morning to avoid the intense Delta sun.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   As you continue your walk through the weathered mud-brick walls and fallen colossi, consider how much of this city still remains underground. Only a fraction of the 200 hectare site has been fully excavated. Every corner here hints at a story of survival, from the pharaohs who repurposed the glory of their ancestors to the archaeologists who toiled in the Delta mud to bring these treasures to light. What other secrets might lie beneath the tells around you? Perhaps you will be the one to spot a forgotten detail in the hieroglyphs or find yourself reflecting on the incredible scale of a capital that time very nearly forgot.