Ancient tombs unearthed in Minya, says official

CAIRO - 18 August 2017: An Egyptian archaeological mission of the Antiquities Ministry has discovered ancient tombs and ruins of a residential area dating back to the Coptic era in El Bahnasa city in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya.

In a statement, Director of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt's antiquities department Gamal el Samsatawy said the tombs included a number of burial chambers, while the residential area included remains of a monk's house.

The new discoveries prove that this archaeological area was a monastery, Samsatawy said, adding that the mission started its archaeological excavations in 2008.