BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Temple of the Sun Discovered at Abusir

Excavations reveal unparalleled sun temple

Massive lintel from the sun temple at Abusir. Courtesy Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Archaeologists working at the site of Abusir, one of the main burial grounds of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, have uncovered an extensive temple complex dedicated to the solar deity. Dating to the mid-third millennium BCE, the temple marks one of the most significant advancements in the study of Egyptian sun worship over the past century.

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Worshiping the Sun

Cartouche of King Nyuserre from the sun temple at Abusir. Courtesy Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The newly discovered sun temple, which covers an area of more than 10,000 square feet, is architecturally unparalleled within the Memphis region. As shown by hieroglyphic inscriptions, it was constructed sometime in the 25th century BCE by King Nyuserre, who was remembered as one of the most prolific builders of Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty. According to a press release by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, this is only the second sun temple ever discovered from ancient Egypt and is one of the largest and most prominent valley temples in the Memphis necropolis.

The Italian excavation team working in Abusir has uncovered approximately half of the temple, discovering many fascinating architectural elements still within their original context, including massive granite lintels and doorways, a well-preserved quartzite gate, and even the remains of an internal staircase. One of the lintels was inscribed with hieroglyphs that describe the temple’s calendar of religious ceremonies. The team also unearthed a large number of artifacts, including wooden game pieces that were used to play the popular ancient board game Senet.

Interestingly, the excavations also revealed that after the temple fell out of use as a place of worship, it was transformed into a small residential area during the First Intermediate Period (c. 2181–2055 BCE). This provides a new information for understanding the daily lives of the inhabitants of the Memphis region during this little-documented period of ancient Egyptian history.

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