Egypt unearths Mamluk-era pilgrim’s inn belonging to lost city along historic Sinai trade route

Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced the unearthing of a Mamluk-era pilgrim's inn in the previously lost city of Asila, located in northern Sinai along the historic Egyptian Hajj Route. This discovery is part of an effort to illuminate Sinai's ancient trade routes and cities. The site features mudbrick and red brick walls with limestone foundations, a common Islamic-era construction method, and its layout resembles other ancient commercial sites in the region. Artifacts, including olive-green glazed vessels and pottery fragments, suggest the inn dates to the reign of Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad. Archaeological mission heads Mohamed Khalil and Saddam Hussein stated, “The discovery contributed to understanding the nature of the infrastructure that supported trade, pilgrimage, and military movements during the Islamic periods.”