King Khufu-era stone blocks unearthed in eastern Cairo

An undated image shows a block carved with patterns unearthed in Ain Shams area, Cairo, Egypt. An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589 BC-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday. The joint mission also found a piece of granite for King Pepi I Meryre with an inscription of Horus falcon, a pedestal of a statue of King Amasis II and several parts of Sphinx-shaped statues. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua)

CAIRO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday.

This is "the first time that artifacts belonging to King Khufu were found in Ain Shams area," Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, was quoted as saying in a ministry statement.

Ain Shams, meaning Eye of the Sun in Arabic, is one of the oldest districts in the capital Cairo.

The blocks might be part of an unknown building or might have been transferred to the Pyramids Plateau in Giza as construction materials in the Ramesside period spanning from 1292 BC to 1069 BC, Waziri added.

The joint mission also found a piece of granite for King Pepi I Meryre with an inscription of Horus falcon, a pedestal of a statue of King Amasis II and several parts of Sphinx-shaped statues.

Remains of kings, including Amenemhet II, III and V, Senusret III, Thutmose the Great, Ramesses II, and Seti II, were also uncovered during the excavation work, according to the statement.

An undated image shows a block carved with patterns unearthed in Ain Shams area, Cairo, Egypt. An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589 BC-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday. The joint mission also found a piece of granite for King Pepi I Meryre with an inscription of Horus falcon, a pedestal of a statue of King Amasis II and several parts of Sphinx-shaped statues. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua)

An undated photo shows a block carved with patterns unearthed in Ain Shams area, Cairo, Egypt. An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589 BC-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday. The joint mission also found a piece of granite for King Pepi I Meryre with an inscription of Horus falcon, a pedestal of a statue of King Amasis II and several parts of Sphinx-shaped statues. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua)

An undated image shows an incomplete stone statue unearthed in Ain Shams area, Cairo, Egypt. An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589 BC-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday. The joint mission also found a piece of granite for King Pepi I Meryre with an inscription of Horus falcon, a pedestal of a statue of King Amasis II and several parts of Sphinx-shaped statues. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua)

An undated image shows an incomplete stone statue of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh unearthed in Ain Shams area, Cairo, Egypt. An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589 BC-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday. The joint mission also found a piece of granite for King Pepi I Meryre with an inscription of Horus falcon, a pedestal of a statue of King Amasis II and several parts of Sphinx-shaped statues. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua)