AncientPages.com - The ruins of a 2,400 year-old shrine beneath Cairo’s modern district of Mataria, have been discovered by Egyptian and German archaeologists, according to Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty announced Monday.
The mission also unearthed remains of a limestone colonnade and a well-preserved ceiling that are thought to have been a part of an ancient Egyptian temple surrounded by a mud brick enclosure wall.
A royal bust of Pharaoh Merenptah, dated back to the New Kingdom (1580 B.C.-1080 B.C.) was also discovered in the area,' The Cairo Post reports.
Ruins of the unearthed temple. Courtesy Of Antiquities Ministry
The finding spot has been identified with the location of the ancient capital city of Heliopolis, or Iunu, Egypt’s most ancient capital city.
“The finds were discovered during the ongoing excavation work carried out by an Egyptian-German archaeology mission. The shrine belonged to the 30th Dynasty Pharaoh Nectanebo I (379 B.C.-360 B.C.)” according to Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty.
Nectanebo I, flourished 4th century BC, first king (reigned 380–362 BC of the 30th dynasty of Egypt. He successfully opposed an attempt by the Persians to reimpose their rule on Egypt (373). Credit: wikipedia
Unfortunately, little remains of what was once one of the ancient Egyptians’ most sacred cities, since much of the stones used in the construction of the temples were later plundered and reused in building modern buildings.
Ruins of the unearthed shrine showing Nectanebo making offerings. Courtsey of Antiquities Ministry
Nectanebo I was the founder of the 30th Dynasty, which was the last Egyptian royal family to rule Egypt before it was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, according to archaeologist Sherif el-Sabban.
He was a great builder and restorer, ordering works on many of the temples across the country.
“The area was first excavated in the early 20th Century and most of the finds ended up in private collections. The obelisk of the Middle Kingdom Pharaoh Senusert I, probably the oldest standing obelisk in Egypt, is among the most significant excavations at the area,” Sabban said.
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source: The Cairo Post
