ANTINOOPOLIS

   Greek name of the city in Middle Egypt founded by Hadrian in 130 AD in honor of his favorite, Antinous, who had drowned in the Nile. Now modern Sheikh Ibada, it is located on the east bank of the Nile opposite Hermopolis. The inhabitants were drawn from the major Greek cities in Egypt. The site was originally an Egyptian city with a temple erected by Ramesses II and has remains dating from the Predynastic Period. Antinoopolis was excavated by the French archaeologist Albert Gayet from 1895–1914, by a British expedition from 1913–1914, and more recently by an Italian expedition.