September 2, 2025
A mural depicting Jesus Christ healing the sick was also found
A recent discovery has revealed that two churches in Egypt are over 1,600 years old, located in the Kharga Oasis, an ancient settlement about 350 miles southwest of Cairo.
According to the Facebook page of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, archaeologists recently unearthed the churches in July. It was also revealed that there are many ancient Christian remains, including cemeteries and other churches. Along with the religious institutions, several residential buildings that were made of mudbrick were also found, with some walls still retaining plaster.
Both churches date back to the early Coptic era, Egypt’s Christianization period, which began in the 4th century A.D. One of the buildings was a grand basilica made of mudbrick, with the remnants of a large hall and two aisles, according to officials. While the other smaller church had a rectangular layout and was surrounded “by the remains of seven external columns.”
Dr. Siham Ismail, general director of External Archaeological Archives and Head of the Mission, led the mission of the discovery site by the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
She stated that most of the buildings seen at the site indicate that the area was used through several historical eras. They discovered that buildings from the Roman era were found and reused in the early Coptic period, as well as in the Islamic era.
The mission was also able to unearth the remains of the main residential city of the Outdoors Oasis.
“The Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council for Archaeological and Worker in Ain Al-Kharab region in the area of the Islamic and Coptic Outdoors Oasis in the New Valley, was able to unearth the remains of the main residential city of the Outdoors Oasis, which witnessed the period of conversion from paganism to Christianity.”
Among some of the findings discovered during the mission was the unveiling of a mural depicting Jesus Christ healing the sick.
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