According to reporters in Cairo, on November 23, a joint archaeological delegation from Egypt and Germany announced the discovery of an ancient temple dating back to the Ptolemaic period near the Grand Temple of Aribis in Sohag Province, Southern Egypt.
This discovery adds an exciting chapter to the rich archaeological sites of Sohag Province.
Ruins of the Ptolemaic temple discovered in Sohag, Egypt. (Source: WAM).
The Secretary-General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), Mohamed Ismail Khaled, praised this discovery, considering it a breakthrough in uncovering the secrets of the previously unknown ancient temple in the Aribis area.
He stated that the front of the temple measures 51 meters long, featuring two towers, each 24 meters wide, surrounding a central gate.
Studies indicate that the towers originally stood 18 meters high, comparable to the iconic tower of the Luxor Temple.
According to archaeologists, the bell tower of the newly discovered ancient temple is adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions and intricately carved images depicting a Ptolemaic king receiving offerings from the lion-headed goddess Repit and her son, the god Kolanthes.
The carvings suggest that the temple dates back to the reign of King Ptolemy VIII, with some inscriptions possibly referring to his wife: Queen Cleopatra III.
The head of the German archaeological team, expert Christian Leitz, mentioned that archaeologists also excavated a room in the southern part of the temple, which was partially discovered by British archaeologist Flinders Petrie in the early 20th century.
This room features images of celestial deities used for nighttime timekeeping, along with carvings of the goddess Repit and the fertility god Min. Additionally, they recently uncovered another room with a staircase.
Previously, the excavation team mapped the Grand Temple of Aribis and recovered over 30,000 pottery fragments inscribed with Demotic, Coptic, and Hieratic scripts.
Archaeologists stated that they will continue excavating to uncover more secrets retained by this temple, further enriching Egypt’s unique archaeological record.
