“So’oud Atun,” or the Rise of Aten, is the largest ancient city unearthed in Egypt to date (Credit: Zahi Hawass Center for Egyptology and High Council of Antiquities)
When famed archeologist and former minister of antiquities, Zahi Hawass, and his team set out to excavate an area near the Egyptian city of Luxor in September 2020, all they were hoping to find was King Tutankhamun s mortuary temple. Instead, the archeologists stumbled upon the largest ancient city ever found in Egypt. Hawass, who revealed the discovery on April 8, 2021, believes the enormous, well-preserved metropolis is the “So’oud Atun,” or the Rise of Aten, whose location has eluded scientists for decades.