Statue of Buddha Discovered at Ancient Temple in Egypt’s Red Sea Coast
The joint Polish-American archaeological mission, currently working at the ancient temple in the city of Barniki on the Red Sea coast in Egypt, has discovered a statue of Buddha from the Roman era.
An official from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities confirmed that the discovery indicates the influence of ancient Egyptian culture on Indian sculpture, history, and documentation.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated that the Polish-American archaeological mission began excavations in Barnike in 1994, under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The head of the Polish mission, Mariusz Jóźwiak, explained that the discovered statue is made of stone that was likely extracted from southern Istanbul, and added that it is possible that it was transported to Barnikiand gifted to the temple by a wealthy Indian merchant or group of merchants.
The statue is approximately 71 centimeters tall and depicts Buddha standing, holding a part of his garment in his left hand, with rays of sun surrounding his head as a symbol of his radiance, and a lotus flower by his side.
The mission also unveiled two metal coins from the 2nd century AD, from the Satavahana central Indian kingdom.
