Pylon of Ptolemaic Temple Uncovered in Sohag Along Western Bank of Nile

A complete pylon of a Ptolemaic temple called Batlmy, described as a ‘significant milestone’, has been found on the western side of the main temple in Sohag, an ancient and modern city along the fertile west bank of the Nile. The excavations were incidentally being conducted in the ancient city of Athribis, a cult centre for the worship of the god Min-Re, the lioness goddess wife Repyt, also his wife, and their son, the child-god Kolanthes.

This is a most unique discovery, which is why it is creating so much excitement in the archaeology community.

A Complete Façade: Decoding the Text

The joint Egyptian German archaeological mission, consisting of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and the German University of Tubingen, are led by Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the supreme council’s Secretary General. He explained how this discovery paves the way for further excavation at the temple site, a large portion of which remains buried, according to a press release.

“The facade of the pylon, which has been completely uncovered, is 51 metres (167.323 ft) wide, divided into two towers, each 24 metres (78.74 ft) wide, separated by the entrance gate,” Dr. Ismail Khaled, the Supreme Council’s Secretary General said in the press release.

The Ptolemaic period in Egypt, 305-30 BC, was characterized by a blend of Greek and Egyptian cultures, under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. The dynasty’s rulers adopted local customs and even the pharaonic attire, whilst bringing Greek language, art, and culture into the region.

Whilst cleaning the main entrance gate in the middle of the pylon, they found hieroglyphic texts decorating the exterior façade, whilst the interior walls also contained some text. Scenes depicting the emperor receiving Repyt, considered the patroness of the temple, along with her son, were also spotted.

Hieroglyphic texts and scenes showing the king receiving Repyt, the lioness-headed goddess, have been discovered. (Supreme Council of Antiquities)

“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,” said Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Central Administration for Upper Egypt Antiquities and head of the Egyptian side of the mission. A cartouche bearing the name of Queen Cleopatra III is also likely to be found among the texts.

Ptolemy VIII ruled Egypt from 170 BC to 116 BC, and was described by Greco texts as cruel, fat and degenerate, but also one of the shrewdest politicians of the Hellenistic Age, reports The Heritage Daily. Finds that illuminate the details of his reign have been relatively rare, and that helps make this an especially useful discovery.

The southern chamber of the temple had been uncovered previously by a British archaeological mission, explained Dr Christian Leitz, head of the team’s German contingent. The entrance to this chamber is also decorated with hieroglyphic texts, and interestingly, there are scenes representing Repyt again, with the fertility god Min, surrounded by secondary celestial deities – the archaeologists speculate that this was in place to measure the hours of the night!

A view of the entire temple complex in Sohag in an attempt to uncover. (Supreme Council of Antiquities)

Dr Marcus Muller, the site’s director from the German side said that they’d also found a previously unknown atop a flight of stairs, reports The National News. The room was likely accessible through a tinier entrance on the exterior façade, with four steps of the staircase leading to an upper floor found, potentially destroyed around 752 AD.

Egyptian German Mission: Uncovering Many Finds

The joint Egyptian German mission has been working in the Athribis area for more than a decade. To date, they’ve completely excavated all components of the main Athribis Temple and found one of more than 30,000 ostraca bearing Demotic, Coptic and Hieratic texts, amongst other archaeological finds.

They will continue their work at the site to uncover the entire temple during the next excavation season, with support from the Supreme Council of Antiquities, through the University of Tübingen’s Athribis Project. This fascinating ancient structure likely has many more secrets to reveal, and the mission is determined to discover them all.

Top image: An Egyptian-German archaeological team has uncovered a remarkable Ptolemaic temple in southern Egypt, dating to the Ptolemaic era.    Source: Supreme Council of Antiquities

By Sahir Pandey