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SARGA.CO – Ever wondered what the oldest horse stable in the world is? If you haven’t, the answer might surprise you.
According to a report from historyfiles.co.uk, a joint team of Egyptian and German archaeologists made a historic discovery back in 1999: a horse stable believed to be the oldest ever found.
The stable was located in the ancient city of Piramesse, at the far end of the Nile Delta, roughly 100 kilometers northeast of Cairo, Egypt.
The facility was built with six rows of buildings, capable of housing at least 460 horses.
Beyond its massive capacity, excavation leader Edgar Pusch described it as the largest and best-preserved horse stable ever discovered in the ancient Near East.
Pusch reported that the stable covered more than 17,000 square meters—six identical rows of buildings, each with rooms containing limestone basins and stone fixtures for tethering hundreds of horses.
Excavations revealed that the floors were deliberately built on a slope. Dr. Pusch believes this design was intended to channel horse urine, which was then used to fertilize the surrounding land.
Archaeologists believe the horses were used to pull two-wheeled war chariots, a crucial part of warfare at the time.
The discovery became even more remarkable when researchers identified the stable’s owner as one of the most famous rulers in world history: Pharaoh Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great.
Ruling between 1279 and 1213 BC, Ramses II is celebrated as the pharaoh responsible for building more monumental structures than any other ruler of his era.
The horses were kept in the stable for breeding, hunting, and recreation. Some accounts suggest the facility was also built to maintain war horses for defending Egypt from invaders.
This joint German-Egyptian archaeological find has been recognized in the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest horse stable.
According to Guinnessworldrecords.com, the stable of Ramses II played a crucial role in the ancient Egyptian kingdom, prompting the pharaoh to maintain stables in strategically important locations.
Historical sources, as cited by egypttoursportal.com, note that horses first arrived in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period (circa 1650–1550 BC), introduced primarily through the influence of the Hyksos—a foreign dynasty from the Levant that ruled Lower Egypt.
Excavations at Tell el-Dab’a, the Hyksos capital, have uncovered horse remains and artifacts dating back to the mid-17th century BC, showing that these animals were integrated into Hyksos culture.
The earliest written mention of horses in Egypt appears on the Kamose stele (circa 1550 BC).
During the New Kingdom period (circa 1550–1070 BC), Egypt began establishing royal stables and refining selective breeding programs to produce horses well-suited to the unique conditions of the Nile Valley.
Better stable management, selective breeding, and continuous exchange of knowledge with neighboring cultures ensured that Egyptian horses became strong, agile, and well-adapted for pulling chariots and participating in hunting expeditions.
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