Cairo (AP) – Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of a temple dedicated to the ancient Greek god Zeus on the Sinai Peninsula, antiquities authorities said Monday.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement that temple ruins were discovered at the Tel El-Pharma archaeological site northwest of Sinai.
Tell el-Farma, also known by the ancient name Pelusium, originated in the late Pharaonic period and was also used during the Greco-Roman and Byzantine periods. There are also remnants from the Christian era and the early Islamic era.
The secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, Mustafa Waziri, said archaeologists had excavated the ruins of the temple at its entrance gate, where two large collapsed granite pillars can be seen. He said the gate was destroyed by a strong earthquake in the past.
According to the vizier, ruins were found between the Pelusium Fortress and the Church of Memory. Archaeologists have unearthed granite blocks that are believed to have been used to build stairs for worshipers to reach the temple.
Excavations in this area began in the early 1900s, when French Egyptologist Jean Cleadat discovered ancient Greek inscriptions showing the existence of the Temple of Zeus-Cassius, but it was not found, according to the ministry.
Zeus-Cassius is a fusion of Zeus, the god of the sky, in ancient Greek mythology, and Mount Cassius in Syria, where Zeus was once worshiped.
Hisham Hussein, director of the Sinai archaeological site, said that inscriptions found in the area show that the Roman emperor Hadrian (117-138) rebuilt the temple.
He said the experts will analyze the discovered blocks and conduct a photogrammetric survey to determine the architectural design of the temple.
The temple ruins are part of a series of recent ancient discoveries made by Egypt over the past two years in hopes of attracting more tourists.
The tourism industry has suffered political turmoil since the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The sector has also been hit hard by the Korovirus pandemic and Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Huffpost
