It dates back to the New Kingdom era and includes a temple believed to have been dedicated to Pharaoh Ramses II.

A French team of archaeologists made an outstanding discovery - the ruins of an ancient Egyptian city near modern Alexandria, which was probably built by the father of the legendary Tutanhamon — Pharaoh Exnaton.

According to a new study published in the 'Antiquity' journal, the found mud-brick structures date back to the 18th Dynasty (approximately 1550-1292 BC), a period known for its wealth, power, and radical religious reforms.

The site, named Kom el-Nugus, is located 27 miles west of Alexandria, on a rocky outcrop between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mareotis. Although excavations began back in 2013, for a long time it was believed that this area was inhabited only during the Hellenistic period — after the arrival of the Greeks around 332 BC.

"The discovery of New Kingdom remains at this site was a great surprise", said Sylvain Dennen, a leading archaeologist at the University of Lyon and the French National Research Center, to the 'New Scientist' journal. "This discovery completely revises the history of Egypt's western border during the New Kingdom period".

Among the most noteworthy finds were fragments of amphorae bearing the names of Meritaton — presumed eldest daughter of the pharaoh-reformer Exnaton and his wife Nefertiti, as well as the sister or half-sister of Tutanhamon. These inscriptions indicate that the settlement may have been a wine house dedicated to Meritaton, which in turn indicates the existence of "royal branding" and unique product approvals even in ancient Egypt.