Qantir

Qantir is a town in the Nile Delta region of Egypt, located in the Sharqia Governorate. It is situated near the archaeological site commonly referred to as Qantir–Pi-Ramesses, which encompasses the ruins of the ancient cities of Avaris and Pi-Ramesses. The site lies at Tell el-Dab’a, near the eastern branches of the Nile Delta, and the modern town gives its name to the area as a whole.

Historically, the Qantir–Pi-Ramesses area preserves layers from several periods. Avaris, located at Tell el-Dab’a, was a major Hyksos capital during the Second Intermediate Period (roughly the 17th–16th centuries BCE). In the New Kingdom, Ramesses II established Pi-Ramesses nearby as a northern capital and administrative center, resulting in a large palace complex and associated urban infrastructure. The combined site provides evidence of Hyksos and Ramesside architectural practices, urban planning, and ceremonial activity. After the New Kingdom, the area was gradually abandoned or repurposed, with later phases leaving behind a palimpsest of construction debris and artifacts in the delta soils.

Today, Qantir functions as a modern town in Egypt, while the adjacent Qantir–Pi-Ramesses site remains an active focus of antiquities research. Excavations by international teams have continued to uncover substantial remnants of both Hyksos-era and Ramesside structures, contributing to understanding of delta city life, administration, and the interactions between different periods in ancient Egyptian history.