Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a statue of Ramesses II — the Pharaoh most widely identified as the Pharaoh of Yetzias Mitzrayim — at the Tel Faraon archaeological site near El Husseiniya in the Nile Delta, Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced.

The statue is incomplete, missing both its legs and base, yet remains an imposing find. According to initial assessments by Hisham el-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the statue weighs approximately five to six tons and stands roughly 2.20 meters — just over seven feet — tall. Even in its damaged state, the remaining features display what el-Leithy described as “artistic and royal features,” suggesting the statue was once part of a larger sculptural grouping known as a Triad, similar to ones previously uncovered across the Sharqia Governorate.

Tel Faraon — known in antiquity as the city of Imet, the ancient capital of the 19th Nome of Lower Egypt — is located south of Tanis along the Nile Delta. Archaeologists believe the statue was originally transported from Pi-Ramesses, the capital of Egypt’s 19th dynasty, to Imet, where it was repurposed for use in a local temple. El-Leithy said the discovery “sheds light on aspects of religious and royal activity in the eastern Delta region” and helps historians better understand how royal statues were transferred and reused during the New Kingdom period.

Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ Egyptian Antiquities Sector, said the find reflects the “religious and historical significance of the site across different eras.” The statue has since been transferred to a museum storage facility in the San Al-Hajar area for preservation and further study.

The discovery adds to a string of remarkable finds at Tel Faraon. In September 2025, archaeologists at the same site uncovered a sandstone stele bearing a complete hieroglyphic text of the Canopus Decree — a document issued by Egyptian priests in 238 BCE during the reign of Ptolemy III. The decree addressed matters of military affairs, grain distribution during drought, tax relief, and religious festivals. Notably, it proposed adding an extra day to the calendar every four years — foreshadowing what would later become the Julian calendar. Ministry officials called that find a discovery that “opens new horizons for understanding the ancient Egyptian language.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)