Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham (literally "the resthouse of the mother of vultures") is located on the North coast of Egypt 20 km to the west of Marsa Matruh, and about 300 km to the west of Alexandria During the reign of Ramesses II, it was the location of a fortress which marked the western extent of direct Egyptian influence. It was discovered in 1948 and in the subsequent years was sporadically examined by Alan Rowe and Labib Habachi, between 1994 and 2001 extensive excavations were undertaken by a University of Liverpool under the direction of Steven Snape.