Ancient Sun Temple of An Egyptian King Discovered

An archaeological mission led by Italian experts has unearthed the remnants of an ancient Egyptian sun temple near Cairo. This find was reported by the Egyptian antiquities authorities.

Belonging to King Nyuserre from the Fifth Dynasty, the remnants were uncovered at the Abusir necropolis, situated south of Cairo.

Significance and Architecture

The sun temple is a part of an impressive collection of structures dedicated to the worship of the sun god Ra. It is among the rare sun temples discovered so far.

Initially identified in 1901 by Ludwig Borchardt, the German archaeologist known for finding the bust of Queen Nefertiti in 1912, excavation was hindered by a high water table.

Recently, over half of the temple, which had been concealed by Nile sediment, has been unveiled.

Architectural Highlights

The site is described as a vast edifice covering more than 1,000 square meters, with unique architectural elements making it one of the largest and most exceptional valley temples in the Memphis necropolis.

Key architectural features such as column bases, wall claddings, and granite thresholds have been identified, along with a sloped pathway that possibly linked the temple to the Nile or its tributaries.

Archaeologists also discovered two pieces of an ancient Egyptian game resembling contemporary chess known as the 'Sunnat' game.

Historical Context

Located about 12 miles from Cairo, Abusir is an archaeological zone that houses pyramids of several pharaohs, albeit smaller than those found at Giza.

Historians believe six sun temples were constructed during the reigns of pharaohs in the Fifth Dynasty, but only two, including King Nyuserre's, have been positively identified to date.