A German-Egyptian joint archaeological expedition, headed by Professor Cornelia Romer, unearthed the remains of the first gymnasium in Egypt dating back to the Hellenistic era, some 2300 years ago. The discovery was made approximately five km east of Lake Qaroun in Fayoum governorate. The gymnasium was used by Greek dignitaries living in Egypt who wished to preserve their Greek heritage through architecture. The gymnasium consisted of a large meeting hall with a number of statues, a dining hall, a courtyard, a 200-meter racecourse and a range of gardens surrounding the building – an ideal layout of a Greek learning center, Ashmawy noted. She added that the mission is continuing its excavations to find out more about the Greek presence in ancient Egypt.

Source: Egypt Independent November 07, 2017 09:11 UTC