- Researchers discovered an old Egyptian temple embedded within a cliff side.
- The website—which was probably devoted to a lion-headed fertility deity called Repit—included an impressive entryway.
- Although large parts of the temple have crumbled, the team managed to discover concealed chambers near the primary entrance gateways.
The cliffs of Athribis remain Egypt have uncovered an age-old marvel: a concealed shrine.
This recent discovery is part of an continuous excavation led by specialists from the University of Tübingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, who have been working on the site. since 2012 on excavations In the region's extensive temple district, the structure was initially uncovered in 2022, and from then on, archaeologists The team has meticulously uncovered the long-hidden monument along with its associated relics, gaining insights into the recently found stone temple. They now believe that an extensive structure might lie beyond the entryway, hidden beneath undisturbed heaps of debris.
While only about 16 feet of the entrance pillars remain today, there was once enough space in this temple complex to hold hidden rooms And with its stairways, it might be concealing additional ancient treasures. "The smoothly finished limestone blocks on a vertical rock face may indicate the presence of a rock sanctuary," Professor Christian Leitz from the Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations at the University of Tübingen stated in an official release.
Excavations at the northern tower located at the entryway of the site revealed temple The district has already showcased a variety of decorations, which include reliefs linked to Ptolemy VIII from the era. nd In the era of the century B.C., within the depictions, a ruler is seen performing offerings to the lion-headed deity of fertility, Repit, along with her offspring, Kolanthes. The recently unearthed hieroglyphic writings indicate that Ptolemy VIII may have been the sovereign behind the establishment of this region.
As an unexpected twist, the team stumbled upon an undiscovered room within the northern turret. Employing an air cushion, timber scaffolding, and rollers, they managed to shift a massive 20-tonne section of the ceiling, thereby unveiling this hidden space. chamber , which was probably utilized as a storeroom for temple implements and amphora jars.
The chamber connects to the tower pylon through a passageway, allowing external access. Within this entry zone, scholars have uncovered numerous additional carvings and hieroglyphs, where Repit features prominently in many depictions. Opposite the recently unearthed portrayal of Repit, one can see the fertility deity Min alongside two seldom-represented decans on the doorway frame. mythical creatures are designed to serve as celestial markers for nighttime timekeeping and have anthropomorphic forms with animal heads. In the newly discovered depictions, one decan possesses a falcon head, while the other sports an ibis head.
Adding to the uniqueness of the architecture of this Egyptian temple, the façade of the pylon features a second door leading to a previously unknown staircase that originally went up at least four flights to the upper floor. Though it is now destroyed, this high level likely once held storage rooms.
Excavations are now focused on finding more information about the temple beyond the entrance. The pillars and decorations typical of the upper end of a temple indicate that there could even be yet another door behind it all.
