Archaeologists recently discovered an impressive Egyptian temple dedicated to the god of fertility that dates back more than 2,000 years.
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities issued a statement on Saturday regarding the discovery. The excavations were led by the Egyptian-German Joint Archaeological Commission.
Historians believe that the history of this temple dates back to the reign of Ptolemy VIII, who may have also been the founder of the temple. Ptolemy VIII was a Ptolemaic king of Egypt who died in 116 BC.
This building, which archaeologists call the Great Temple of Athlibis, was discovered in Sohag. Athribis was the center of a cult dedicated to Min, the god of fertility.
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The Great Temple of Athribis had a huge tower consisting of two towers. (Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, via Facebook)
The Ptolemaic dynasty consisted of Macedonian Greek rulers who ruled Egypt for almost 300 years, beginning in 305 BC and ending in 30 BC. Its fall marked the end of pre-Roman Hellenistic Egypt.
In a Facebook post translated from Arabic to English, the ministry said the temple's pylon, or gate, was 167 feet wide. Each tower was 78 feet wide.
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The press release added that Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the original height of the pylon was approximately 59 feet.
The Great Temple of Athribis is believed to have been founded by the Greek Egyptian king Ptolemy VIII. (Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, via Facebook)
Hieroglyphic texts were also found along the exterior of the tower. The excavators also discovered parts of the temple's inner walls and carvings of Min and one of his wives, the lion goddess Reput.
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Archaeologists also discovered a southern chamber decorated with Min and Reput hieroglyphs and landscapes, along with depictions of the heavenly gods “to measure the hours of the night,” the press release said.
The group of archaeologists also discovered an attic with four flights of stairs, which may have been destroyed in the 700s AD. The attic was accessed through a small entrance to the building.
This temple was dedicated to the Egyptian god of fertility, Min. (Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, via Facebook)
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“It is noteworthy that a joint Egyptian-German mission has been active in the Atribus region for more than ten years, resulting in the complete opening of all parts of the Great Temple of Atribus,” the Egyptian Ministry announcement concluded.
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