Egyptian-German archaeology team uncovers Ptolemaic Temple in Sohag

Joint mission set to continue excavations to reveal entire religious complex

An Egyptian-German archaeological mission has made a significant discovery in the south of Egypt dating back to Ptolemaic rule. Photo: Supreme Council of Antiquities

An archaeological mission has uncovered a complete Ptolemaic temple pylon at the western side of the main temple of Athribis in Sohag, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and the University of Tubingen announced.

The discovery by a joint Egyptian-German team is considered a “significant milestone” that will pave the way for further excavation at the temple site, a sizeable portion of which remains buried, said Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the supreme council's Secretary General.

"The facade of the pylon, which has been completely uncovered, is 51 metres wide, divided into two towers, each 24 metres wide, separated by the entrance gate," Dr Khaled said. The slope angle of the towers suggests the original height of the pylon could have been up to 18 metres, rivalling the dimensions of the Luxor Temple pylon.

The mission will continue its work at the site to uncover the entire temple during the next excavation seasons, with support from the Supreme Council of Antiquities, as per a directive issued by Sherif Fathi, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.

The Ptolemaic period in Egypt, from 305BCE to 30BCE, was a time when the country was ruled by a Greek dynasty founded by Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great's generals.

During this era, there was a significant blending of Greek and Egyptian cultures, demonstrated by the art, architecture and religious practices of the time. The Ptolemaic rulers adopted many Egyptian customs and portrayed themselves as pharaohs, while also introducing Greek language, art and culture to the region.

Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Central Administration for Upper Egypt Antiquities and head of the Egyptian side of the mission, revealed that during the cleaning of the main gate in the middle of the pylon, hieroglyphic texts decorating the exterior facade and interior walls were spotted, along with scenes depicting the king receiving Repyt, the lioness-headed goddess who served as the patron of Athribis Temple, and her son, the child god Kolanthes.

"Through studying the cartouches discovered at the entrance and on one of the interior sides, it was determined that this gate dates back to the reign of King Ptolemy VIII, who may have been the founder of the temple," Abdel Badie said. A cartouche bearing the name of his wife, Queen Cleopatra III, is also likely to be found among the texts.

Dr Christian Leitz, head of the team’s German contingent, said the mission had completed the uncovering of the temple’s southern chamber, which was previously discovered during the work of a British archaeological mission, led by the scholar Petrie, that excavated the site between 1907 and 1908.

The entrance to this chamber is decorated with hieroglyphic texts, and scenes representing the goddess Repyt and the fertility god Min surrounded by secondary celestial deities representing stars for measuring the hours of the night.

Dr Marcus Muller, the site’s director from the German side, said the archaeologists also uncovered a previously unknown room at top of a flight of stairs.

The room would have been accessible through a small entrance found on the exterior facade of the pylon. The team uncovered four steps of the staircase, which indicate that they led to an upper floor that has been destroyed, around 752CE, the team estimated.

The joint Egyptian-German mission has been working in the Athribis area for more than a decade, resulting in the complete excavation of all components of the main Athribis Temple, one of the most prominent heritage sites in Upper Egypt’s Sohag province.

Since then, the mission has accomplished a number of discoveries including one of more than 30,000 ostraca bearing Demotic, Coptic and Hieratic texts, as well as numerous archaeological findings.

Some of the most prominent discoveries from this period include the Rosetta Stone, which was instrumental in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Ptolemaic temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, and the famous Library of Alexandria, which was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world.