ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM

JULY 4, 2026 07:36

Excavations finished two weeks ago revealed previously unexamined sections of the ancient temple complex in al-Qasr village within the Bahariya Oasis, as stated by Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry in a mid-June announcement.

The temple originates from Egypt's 26th Dynasty, the final native dynasty prior to the Persian conquest in 525 BCE.

An Egyptian archaeological team working for the Supreme Council of Antiquities completed digs that exposed the temple's central hall with its 16 sandstone columns along with linked rooms and shrines.

Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, highlighted the discovery of stone blocks inscribed with the names and titles of King Psamtik I, founder of the 26th Dynasty, inside one chamber.

Further hieroglyphic texts found in the temple mention key ancient Egyptian gods such as Amun-Ra, the sun and creator deity, Amunet, the primordial goddess paired with Amun-Ra, and Khonsu, the moon deity.

Researchers also recovered a stone stele from the 18th Dynasty under King Amenhotep II plus fragments linked to the 19th Dynasty under King Ramesses II.

The find offers fresh proof of the Old Palace site's major historical and archaeological value in the Bahariya Oasis and its function as an important religious and administrative hub through many eras, according to Leithy.

Signs of earlier Greek and Roman presence at the location

He added that the work illuminates the Bahariya Oasis history and confirms notable activity at the site in the periods before the 26th Dynasty.

Sabry Farag, director-general of Bahariya Oasis Antiquities, supported Leithy's assessment by citing fourth- and fifth-century CE ostraca along with Coptic and Latin inscriptions as proof of Greek and Roman involvement.

Basins for wine and oil production were also located, Farag noted.

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy commended the team's work and stated that revealing the temple chamber helps expand knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization while exposing additional secrets.

Fathy further observed that the finds highlight Egypt's distinctive archaeological heritage and demonstrate the skill of Egyptian experts in revealing new aspects of the country's early history, which supports cultural tourism.

Ancient Greco-Roman cemetery discovered in Egypt's Nile Delta

Earlier in June, an ancient Greco-Roman cemetery came to light at the Tel Kom Aziza site in Beheira Governorate in northern Egypt.

Work at the location exposed varied burial styles, ranging from basic pits dug straight into the soil to structures framed with mud bricks.

Several painted plaster coffins and barrel-shaped pottery examples, typical of the Ptolemaic era, turned up at the site as well.

Leithy pointed out that burial orientations differed not only in technique but also in direction.

Some aligned north-south while others ran east-west, Leithy explained, and hand positions of the dead varied from folded or crossed over the pelvis to around the neck, in the Osirian pose with arms over the chest, or extended beside the thighs.

Complete wild boar burials were also uncovered, an uncommon find at ancient Egyptian sites due to the animal's link to the deity Set.

Earlier artifacts indicate the cemetery was built over older settlement layers, with items spanning Egypt's Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, Late Period, and into Greek and Roman times.