WADI TUMILAT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

The interest of this wadi is immemorial. Already, under the fourth dynasty, cities develop there; In life they are strong in order to ensure the road from Asia to Heliopolis and Memphis. Now called Tell al-Retabeh, a canal from Timsah Lake under Ptolemy II in 270 B.C. is widening, the main city of Pithom, the capital of the 8 ^th nome of Bas-Egypt, "The Eastern Harpoon with Ropes" is 15 km west of Ismaïlia. in the middle of the fields there are some blocks of broken monumental statues and limestone sarcophagi.

The 8 ^th nome will be split later and will give the 20 ^th nome, that of Sopdou, whose biblical town of Goshen is known to be, where Pharaoh will install Joseph and his family, to reward him. " So speak Joseph your son: God promoted me lord of all Egypt, descend to me without stopping. You will be demeureras in the country of Goshen… " (Genesis 45, 9-10).