Avaris

Avaris is the ancient city identified at Tell el-Dab’a in Egypt’s eastern Nile Delta, known as the Hyksos capital during the Second Intermediate Period. The site is a major Bronze Age occupation with extensive archaeological remains.

The exposed archaeological trenches and visible mudbrick foundations document multiple occupation phases and large public and domestic structures. Finds from the site include imported pottery, workshop evidence and Aegean-influenced wall paintings that illustrate cross‑Mediterranean contacts in the Bronze Age.

Avaris developed from Middle Bronze Age settlements and rose to prominence under Hyksos rulers in the second half of the second millennium BCE. Modern investigation began in the late 19th and 20th centuries and large-scale, multidisciplinary excavations have been led by Austrian teams since the 1960s.

The site at Tell el-Dab’a lies in Sharqia Governorate near the modern village of Qantir in the Nile Delta, roughly northeast of Cairo. It occupies a strategic location on former Nile branches in the eastern Delta.

• Excavations: Austrian excavations at Tell el-Dab’a have been ongoing since the 1960s and are the main source of published findings from the site.
• Hyksos capital: Served as the political center for Hyksos rulers during the Second Intermediate Period, around 1650-1550 BCE.

Tell el-Dab’a is accessed from Cairo or nearby Delta cities; travel by road toward the eastern Nile Delta (Sharqia Governorate). Local archaeological teams manage many visits and research access.

• Wear sun protection and bring plenty of water-Fayum and Nile Delta regions are hot in summer.
• Scholarly access requires coordination-most on-site research is guided by Egyptian authorities and academic permits.
• Combine a visit with nearby ancient sites and the agricultural landscapes that sustained the city's economy.