Archaeologists in Egypt have actually revealed the remains of a 4,500-year-old valley temple. The structure belongs to a sun temple that ancient Egyptians integrated in honor of the sun god Ra, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated in an equated declaration

The temple lies at Abu Ghurab, about 10 miles(16 kilometers)southwest of Cairo. The sun temple has 2 parts: an upper temple, which the archaeologists excavated numerous years agoand the recently excavated valley temple, which the group began dealing with in 2024. The valley temple is placed near the Nile River, and 2 temple parts are linked through a causeway.

The current excavations have actually caused numerous discoveries, consisting of the remains of a columned entryway portico, a public calendar of spiritual occasions sculpted into blocks, and lots of embellished blocks with engravings that point out Pharaoh Niuserre (reign circa 2420 B.C. to 2389 B.C.), the ruler who had actually the temple constructed.

The upper temple was the primary location of praise, however the valley temple made it much easier for individuals to reach. The valley temple “was used as a landing stage for the boats approaching it from the Nile or, more likely, from one of its side channels,” Nuzzolo informed Live Science in an e-mail. The “most convenient way to reach the upper temple was to enter the valley temple and go up on the hill where the upper temple was located through a ramp [the causeway].”

Part of the valley temple from an overhead view. ( Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)Public calendarThe valley temple had a calendar of spiritual occasions engraved on embellished blocks. Borchardt discovered part of the calendar in 1901, and more of it was discovered by the modern-day historical group. The occasions pointed out consist of the banquets of Sokar, a falcon-headed god connected with the Egyptian city of Memphis– a capital throughout the Old Kingdom. The blocks likewise point out the celebration of Min, a god connected with fertility, and the procession of Ra.

“What is really important here is however the location of these blocks,” Nuzzolo stated. “They were all found in the area of the entrance portico and this seems to indicate that the façade of the temple, on the outside, was inscribed with this long calendar of feasts, possibly one of the first [examples] of ‘public calendars’ known so far to us.”