About half an hour’s drive to the south of Dishasha, somewhere between the towns of Biba and el-Fashna in the Governorate of Beni Suef, is a site known locally as Kom el-Ahmar or Mazura. I have visited this site but I can find no information about it and it does not seem to be marked on the maps. There is a gafir at the site who will show visitors around, but only speaks Arabic and could only tell us that there were burials here.

Located near a small canal, Kom el-Ahmar is a large archaeological site which is covered in red pottery sherds and contains many graves (presumably) of different types. Some of the graves are pits in the sand and some are brick-lined. There is also a limestone paved platform and low remains of stone and brick walls which must once have contained a structure (temple or shrine?) but I do not know which period this is dated to.

Towards the small modern village of Mazura, about one kilometre from the cemetery site, another area is covered in broken pottery and lying by the track there are large sections of plain round columns scattered haphazardly on the ground.

If anyone could provide me with any information at all on what has become a ‘mystery site’ I would be very grateful. Contact: su@egyptsites.co.uk.