The world's oldest horse stables were established by the Egyptian pharaoh, Ramses II (1304-1237 BC) to breed horses for war, hunting and recreation. They were discovered in early 1999 by a joint German-Egyptian archeologicial team headed by Edgar Pusch (Germany) in the ancient city of Piramesse, in the Nile Delta, Egypt. The stables are also believed to be the largest, covering approximately 17,000 m² (182,986 ft²) and housing 460 horses at one time. The stables were built on a slant so the horse urine could drain away and be used for fertilizer. A courtyard and horse-bathing pool were also discovered. Due to the fact that horses were essential to the expansion of the Egyptian empire, the need to have stables placed in strategic locations increased.
