Valley of the Kings

Researchers have documented nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi, Sanskrit and Prakrit across six tombs in Egypt’s Theban Necropolis in the Valley of the Kings.

Of the roughly 30 inscriptions identified, around 20 are in Tamil-Brahmi, while the remaining 10 are in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Gandhari-Kharosthi scripts. The findings point to the presence of Indian visitors in Egypt during the early centuries of the Common Era.

Tamil-Brahmi Inscription Reveals Cultural Links

One particularly significant Tamil-Brahmi inscription mentions the name “Cikai Koṟṟaṉ.” According to researchers, the first element “Cikai” may be linked to the Sanskrit word śikhā, meaning tuft or crown. The name Koṟṟaṉ has appeared in earlier discoveries as well.

It is found in “Koṟṟapumāṉ,” inscribed on a pottery fragment recovered from Berenike, an ancient Red Sea port in Egypt that has yielded Indian inscriptions since the 1990s. The name also appears in the Sangam corpus, where the Chera ruler Piṭṭāṅkoṟṟaṉ is addressed as “Koṟṟaṉ.”

These parallels connect the Egyptian inscriptions firmly with the literary and epigraphic traditions of ancient Tamilagam, suggesting direct links between South India and the Mediterranean world.

Evidence of Wider Indian Presence

The presence of Sanskrit, Prakrit and Gandhari-Kharosthi inscriptions indicates that visitors from northwestern and western India — including regions such as present-day Gujarat and Maharashtra — were also in Egypt.

One Sanskrit inscription refers to an envoy of a Kshaharata king who “came here.” The Kshaharata dynasty ruled parts of western India during the 1st century C.E., making this reference historically significant.

Beyond Trade: Cultural Interaction

Scholars say the inscriptions demonstrate that Indian traders and visitors did more than simply dock at Red Sea ports for commercial exchange. The evidence suggests they stayed long enough to travel inland, visit significant sites such as the Theban Necropolis, and participate in local commemorative practices by leaving inscriptions.