An Ancient Egyptian sun temple has been found in Matariya, reports Nevine El-Aref During a routine excavation to inspect the site of Souk El-Khamis in Matariya, an Egyptian- German team uncovered the remains of a sun temple dating back to the reign of King Ramses II. This site is believed to be an important part of the ancient city of Iunu (ancient Heliopolis), which was one of ancient Egypt's three main cities. In addition to being the city of sun worship, Iunu was an astronomical centre and a literary hub, where intellectuals, including Greek philosophers, studied. Among the unearthed artifacts were a pink granite colossus, weighing five tonnes, whose features resemble those of Ramses II, and a 1.5 metre sandstone headless statue of a Pharaonic figure, whose back is engraved in hieroglyphic text. While brushing the sand off, three cartouches of Ramses II were also uncovered, scattered on the temple ground, along with an unidentified pink granite royal head wearing a nemes (head dress). Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Al-Ahram Weekly that further excavations revealed a number of talatat (small painted stones) bearing the name of Queen Nefertiti. "This suggests that the monotheistic King Akhenaten once built a temple or a shrine in this area," he said, adding that archaeological evidence of massive constructions of sun temples had been carried out much earlier that the 19th Dynasty. Archeologist Mohamed Megahed said that several fragments decorated with the sun god Aten have been found scattered in the sand along with a clay oven from the reign of Ramses II. Matariya also contains the remains of the 20.4-metre-high granite obelisk erected by Middle Kingdom Pharaoh Senusert I, along with a modest collection of tables and statues, as well as the ruins of an obelisk belonging to Thutmose II, superimposed with inscriptions of Ramses II, and objects bearing the names of Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III. Older monuments include the ruins of a Third Dynasty shrine built under King Djoser, part of a Sixth Dynasty obelisk of King Teti, several Old Kingdom tombs of high priests and a stela of Tuthmosis III. Excavations have also revealed several Ramesside constructions, including temples, a cemetery for Mnevis bulls -- which were sacred to Re -- and a 12th Dynasty donation list from the time of Ramses III, indicating that the temples at Heliopolis were second only to those of Amun at Thebes. In 1993, while foundations and drainage were being installed near the granite obelisk, a cache of limestone statues, granite sarcophagi and stelae was found. They originate in the 26th Dynasty Saite period, and the style of decoration -- combined with the breathtaking size -- suggest that they once belonged to royals or, at least, high- ranking officials. Once cleaned and restored, the monuments were placed on temporary exhibition next to the obelisk. Two years later another tomb from the 26th Dynasty -- the resting place of man called Panehsy, which means the Nubian -- was accidentally discovered two kilometres east of the obelisk, during the demolition of a villa owned by the Egyptian Lawyers' Syndicate, which had filed a request for archaeological inspection prior to the start of a construction of a new members' residence. While the mud brick chapel disappeared, the burial chamber remains intact. It is composed of a vaulted limestone room, whose frescos feature the sky goddess Nut, while beautiful vignettes and spells from the Book of the Dead decorate its walls. And in 2001, the tomb of Waja-Hur, a well-known architect, was found. An impressive structure, it consists of two long corridors leading to three burial chambers -- the first belonging to the deceased, and the other two, which have yet to be excavated, in all likelihood to members of his family. Although devoid of funerary equipment, the tomb contains 19 ushabti figures bearing his name. All tombs have now been dismantled and relocated to a dry area well above ground water level. It has now developed into an open-air museum in the heart of the concrete jungle, where royal granite sarcophagi found near Panehsy's tomb are already on show, and a concrete base installed. While the site is yet to go on display, highlights will include a four metre-high quartzite colossus of Ramses II, found broken in the backyard of the Arab Contractors Hospital in Nasr City. This masterpiece, thus far neglected, had been subject to mistreatment by construction workers in the area -- so much so that it was obscured by rubbish and remained unnoticed for 14 years. The museum is being paved with blocks of stone. A route will be laid out for tourists. Starting at the colossus, it leads to Panehsy's tomb and the granite sarcophagi, onto the tomb of Waja- Hur, and then finally out of the museum to the Tree of the Virgin. The journey ends at the famous obelisk, where offering tables, statues and parts of the Thutmose II obelisk are currently being prepared for show.
