CAIRO — The Egyptian-German archaeological mission working at Matariyyah archaeological space introduced Nov. 5 a brand new archaeological discovery. It consists of elements of the western and northern facade of the temple of King Nectanebo I (380-363 B.C.) situated on the middle of the Nice Temple of Heliopolis at Matariyyah, east of Cairo.
Archaeologists say that the brand new archaeological discovery sheds gentle on extra secrets and techniques associated to the Metropolis of the Solar, Heliopolis, which is essentially the most historical capital on the earth and most historical spiritual, scientific and philosophical middle, earlier than Egypt coalesced round 3100 B.C.
The mission, which has been working on this archaeological space for about 15 years, discovered many basalt blocks engraved with the names of elements of Decrease Egypt, together with blocks that symbolize the nomes of Heliopolis, along with blocks of the opposite nomes in Decrease Egypt, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, mentioned in an announcement.
Based on the assertion, Dietrich Rau, head of the German staff, mentioned that the western a part of the primary axis of Nectanebo’s Temple was studied. Totally different proof level to buildings relationship again to the Center Kingdom, the twenty second Dynasty of Egypt (Osorkon I, 925-890 B.C.) and a shrine to god Shu and goddess Tefnut commissioned by Psamtik II (595-589 B.C.).
The staff unearthed elements of Ramses II statue, a part of the baboon statue, a pedestal and elements of a quartzite obelisk from the reign of Pharaoh Osorkon I, and elements of worship objects equivalent to an providing desk for Pharaoh Thutmosis III (1479-1425 B.C.), in keeping with Rau.
The excavations revealed proof on the exercise of the thirteenth Dynasty’s kings and the Ptolemaic period.
Ayman Ashmawy, head of the Historical Egyptian Antiquities Sector on the Supreme Council of Antiquities, informed Al-Monitor that the invention is essential and is a continuation of the current discoveries within the solar temples and the royal help they acquired. He mentioned that it additionally provides a clearer image of the locations that have been destroyed in later ages in Ain Shams (east of Cairo).
In Could 2016, the archaeological mission working there unearthed for the primary time the eastern gate of the temple of Pharaoh Nectanebo I of the thirtieth Dynasty of Historical Egypt, who spent most of his reign defending his kingdom from reconquest of the Persians with the help of Sparta or Athens occasionally. That was earlier than elements of the western and northern gate have been discovered final week, he famous.
Ashmawy defined that the inscriptions within the stones consult with the thirteenth and 14th 12 months of Nectanebo’s reign (367-366 B.C.), in addition to the supplies used within the temple and their dimensions. He famous that a few of the stones have incomplete inscriptions, in all probability insinuating that no additional ornamental work was carried out on the temple after the dying of Nectanebo I in 361 B.C.
He mentioned that these discoveries level to the continued royal help and funding within the solar temple of Ra, the creator god of Historical Egypt, in Heliopolis.
The sun god Ra was related to one of many oldest creation theories emanating from the college of Heliopolis, generally known as the Ennead principle (a gaggle of 9 deities in Egyptian mythology worshipped at Heliopolis), in keeping with which the world earlier than the existence of the gods was an infinite ocean (Nun, god of the water) out of which the nice god Atum (Ra-god of the solar) appeared and rested on a hill above these waters. When he felt lonely, he created different companions, together with Shu (god of air) and Tefnut (deity of moisture), who bought married and gave beginning to Nut (sky goddess) and Geb (earth god).
The invention indicated that the temple was then used as a quarry to construct obelisks and temples within the Roman period, and that within the Islamic eras the Egyptians used their stones to construct their properties and different amenities.
The Egyptian official mentioned that unearthed antiquities shall be displayed within the open museum in Matariyyah after the completion of the restoration works.
In February 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum in Masala, in Matariyyah to inform the historical past of essentially the most historical Egyptian metropolis, Heliopolis.
The museum consists of 135 artifacts relationship again from the Previous Kingdom to the New Kingdom, most notably the obelisk of King Senusret I, and different obelisks of the world, together with a part of the obelisk of Pharaoh Teti I, one of many kings of the sixth Dynasty.
Hussein Abdel Basir, director of the Antiquities Museum on the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, mentioned that the invention is essential and confirms that Matariyyah is situated in a sea of statues.
He informed Al-Monitor that the town of Heliopolis is a burial floor east of the Nile, just like Saqqara that could be a burial floor west of the Nile, and Luxor within the south.
That metropolis was very well-known all through the ages, and in keeping with the Bible, Prophet Joseph was married there to a daughter of Potiphar, a excessive priest of Heliopolis, in addition to Virgin Mary’s tree in Heliopolis and the Arab Islamic conquest, he mentioned.
Nevertheless, the town disappeared and was destroyed by the silt that accrued over the ages because of the flooding of the Nile River, just like many archaeological areas within the Delta area and Cairo. The slums inbuilt current a long time made issues worse, in keeping with Abdel Basir.
However, he famous that many archaeological discoveries have but to be unearthed in Matariyyah space the place remnants and ruins of the traditional spiritual metropolis are nonetheless buried. These discoveries will revive the town’s well-known landmarks and reveal them to the general public.
