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During the latest excavation season in central Egypt, where digs have been running for 22 years, Egyptian and German archaeologists uncovered the entrance to a large temple. The team also found that many of the pylon’s stones were later repurposed as building materials.
Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen — Professor Christian Leitz and Dr. Markus Müller — say “the entrance to the temple carved in the rock is hidden beneath still-untouched piles of debris behind it.”
The search for the temple complex has been underway since 2012. In 2022, Mohamed Abdelbadia of the Egyptian Antiquities Authority joined the international team.
What Did the Archaeologists Reveal?
Researchers date the temple complex to between 144 and 138 AD. Its total width measured 51 meters, and the towers of the monumental pylon originally rose about 18 meters each.
Today, only about 5 meters of the pylon remain. Later generations used the structure as a source of stone. The team even managed to date when the temple and pylon were dismantled: a coin found among the ruins dates that activity to 752 AD and the years shortly after.
During the excavations, the archaeologists uncovered reliefs showing a ruler making offerings to the goddess Repit and her son Kolantes. Newly found hieroglyphic inscriptions identify the ruler as most likely Ptolemy VIII, who ruled Egypt in the 2nd century BC.
“In the northern tower of the pylon, we unexpectedly found a previously unknown chamber. We cleared the ceiling, which weighed about 20 tons, using an air cushion, wooden scaffolding, and sleds,” the archaeologists said.
The chamber, about 6 meters long and 3 meters wide, was probably used to store temple furnishings and, at a later stage, amphorae.
“The corridor runs through the pylon to the chamber, so the chamber could also be accessed from the outside. That entrance is adorned with reliefs and hieroglyphs,” the scientists added. The reliefs show the goddess Repit; opposite the doorway stands the fertility god Min, flanked by two creatures with the heads of a falcon and an ibis, according to Sci.news.
“The pylon’s second set of doors on the facade lead to previously unknown staircases that climbed at least four flights to a now-ruined upper floor,” the researchers said.
Professor Leitz says the carefully polished limestone blocks on the vertically carved rock face may belong to the sanctuary.
