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Ancient Egyptian temple unearthed after 2,200 years

Tomb discovered by construction workers digging for sewage drain

Samuel Osborne
Sunday 06 October 2019 13:49 EDT
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Archaeologists have so far uncovered a north-south wall and an east-west wall, along with the southwestern corner of the temple
Archaeologists have so far uncovered a north-south wall and an east-west wall, along with the southwestern corner of the temple (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

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A 2,200-year-old Egyptian temple from the era of Pharaoh Ptolemy IV has been uncovered on the bank of the Nile.

The tomb was discovered by construction workers digging for a sewage drain in the village of Kom Shaku in the Tama township, according to a Facebook post by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities.

Sanitation work was suspended while archaeologists explored the remains of the temple.

They found stone inscriptions reading "Ptolemy IV," who ruled Egypt from 221 to 204BC.

Other carvings featured the Egyptian god Hapi, the god of the annual flooding of the Nile, carrying offerings and surrounded by birds and other animals.

Archaeologists found stone inscriptions reading 'Ptolemy IV' and others featuring the Egyptian god Hapi, the god of the annual flooding of the Nile
Archaeologists found stone inscriptions reading 'Ptolemy IV' and others featuring the Egyptian god Hapi, the god of the annual flooding of the Nile (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

Archaeologists have so far discovered a north-south wall, an east-west wall and the southwestern corner of the structure.

Ptolemy IV is believed to have presided over the beginning of the decline of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Egypt has pushed to boost tourism following the country's civil war in 2011.

It recently opened King Sneferu’s 4,600-year-old “bent” pyramid in the Dahshur royal necropolis south of Cairo to the public.

The 101m-high structure was one of two pyramids built for Sneferu, who founded the Fourth Dynasty.

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