Temple dedicated to ‘King of Gods’ discovered in Egypt

In Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, archaeologists discovered the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Zeus, the deity of the sky in Greek mythology. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the remains were discovered at Tell el-Farma, an ancient site in the northwest of the peninsula.

The site, which was once known as Pelusium, dates from the late Pharaonic period. It was also used in Greco-Roman and Byzantine eras, and there are traces of it dating back to Christian and early Islamic times.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the crew explored the remains through the temple entry gate. There were two massive stone columns that had fallen there. The gate was demolished by a tremendous ancient earthquake.

The remains were discovered between a memorial church at the archaeological site and the Pelusium Fort, as per the secretary-general. The crew unearthed many granite slabs that had most likely constructed a set of steps for pilgrims to use to reach the sacred location.

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Excavations surrounding the site began in the early 1900s when a French Egyptologist named Jean Cledat uncovered inscriptions in Ancient Greek. The presence of the Zeus-Kasios temple was shown by these inscriptions. Cledat, on the other hand, did not discover the sacred place.

Kasios, or Casius, is a Zeus surname derived from either Casion, near Pelusium, or Mount Kasios, also known as Jebel Aqra, in Syria, near the Turkish border.

According to Hisham Hussein, head of archaeological sites in Sinai, inscriptions uncovered in the area implies that Hadrian repaired the temple. From 117 until 138, Hadrian was the Roman Emperor. He is well remembered for constructing Hadrian’s Wall, which demarcated Britannia’s northern border.

Hussein said that experts will examine the exposed blocks, and a photogrammetry study will be conducted to ascertain the temple’s architecture. The remains are the last in a series of archaeological finds that officials in Cairo have publicised in recent years in order to lure more tourists to Egypt.

Given the significant amount of Russian tourists that generally visit the nation, the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have increased the country’s tourism troubles.