Yamu

Yamu is an archaeological site in the western Nile Delta with remains of a settlement spanning multiple pharaonic periods. The location contains temple ruins, extensive burial grounds, and two surviving statues of King Ramesses II, while additional finds are housed in the Cairo Museum.

This place served as the capital of the third nome of Lower Egypt and shows evidence of continuous habitation from the Old Kingdom through the Middle Kingdom. Excavations between 1943 and 1949 uncovered the layers of settlement and revealed the importance of this administrative center across centuries.

Religious devotion to the goddess Hathor, known as the Mistress of Imu in ancient records, is evident in inscriptions and objects found here. Visitors can trace how this deity was honored across generations at this sacred place.

Visitors should know that excavation work took place many decades ago and the site takes time to explore fully. Most artifacts are on view at the Cairo Museum, while the two Ramesses statues remain at the location.

More than one thousand graves were uncovered during excavations, including distinctive burials of warrior groups and numerous child graves. This unusual composition hints at special burial practices rarely documented elsewhere in Egyptian archaeology.