Cairo [Egypt], November 24: A joint Egyptian-German archaeological mission has uncovered a new Ptolemaic temple near the Great Temple of Atribis in Sohag. The discovery, led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the University of Tubingen, marks an exciting addition to Sohag’s rich archaeological sites, Ahram Online reported.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), hailed the recent discovery as a breakthrough in uncovering a previously unknown temple in Atribis.
“The newly unearthed pylon facade spans 51 metres, with two towers, each 24 metres wide, flanking a central gate,” he said. Studies suggest the pylon originally stood 18 metres tall, rivalling the dimensions of Luxor Temple’s iconic pylon.
The pylon bears hieroglyphic inscriptions and intricate carvings of a Ptolemaic king receiving offerings from the lion-headed goddess Repit and her child, the deity Kolanthes.
Cartouches at the site indicate the temple dates to the reign of King Ptolemy VIII, with some inscriptions possibly referencing his wife, Queen Cleopatra III.
Christian Leitz, the mission’s German co-leader, noted the excavation of a southern chamber, partially uncovered in the early 20th century by British archaeologist Flinders Petrie. The chamber features depictions of celestial deities used to measure night-time hours, along with carvings of Repit and the fertility god Min.
A newly discovered room with a staircase was also revealed. Markus Muller, the German team’s site director, explained that the staircase once led to an upper floor, destroyed around 752 CE.
The excavation team has worked in Atribis for three decades, previously mapping the great temple of Atribis and recovering over 30,000 ostraca in Demotic, Coptic, and Hieratic.
Excavations will continue, aiming to uncover the temple’s remaining features and enrich Egypt’s extraordinary archaeological record.