Lost Temple Reveals 3,000-Year-Old Mysteries of God King

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a temple devoted to 19th Century Pharoh Ramses II in Egypt. Newsweek reports that this discovery helps shed light on the religious practices of the ruler. He was revered as a god during his lifetime.

A joint Czech and Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered the parts of the temple at the Abusir Necropolis in Giza in the northern part of Egypt. According to Newsweek, the team also uncovered motifs dedicated to the ancient Egyptian sun gods. The motifs are thought to be over 3,200-years-old.

Deputy director of the mission, Mohamed Megahed said that his team had found the temple in an area created by “natural transition between the banks of the Nile and the floodplain at Abusir,” according to Newsweek. The temple is about 100 feet in width and 170 feet in length. There are two identical storage buildings flanking the temple.

Remains of King Ramesses II Temple (Czech Institute of Egyptology)

According to Megahed, studies of the ruins showed the stone columns had lined the walls of the forecourt. The forecourt itself was also enclosed by mudbrick walls, reports Newsweek, though some of them had been painted blue.

The archaeologists also uncovered what seems to be a ramp or staircase leading to a stone chamber. The chamber was then divided into three parallel rooms. According to Miroslav Barta, director of the Czech mission, and reported by Newsweek, the remains of the building were covered in huge deposits of sand and chips of stone. These may contain fragments of polychrome reliefs.

Remains of King Ramesses II Temple (Czech Institute of Egyptology)

The team was able to date the structure to between 1213-1279 B.C. using fragments that were in the decorative scheme of the structure. One of the walls had inscriptions with the different titles of King Ramses II. It also had inscriptions with devotional writings to the solar deities Re, Amun, and Nekhbet, writes Newsweek. 

The ancient ruins in Egypt have been a huge draw for international tourism. But following strife and a string of terror attacks, tourist numbers have dwindled, according to Newsweek.