Archaeologists in Egypt have found one of the sun temples built during the Fifth Dynasty of the pharaohs. A team of archaeologists uncovered the ruins of another temple beneath the ruins of the sun god Ra's temple in the Abu Gurab area, near the Abu Sir temple complex in Egypt. Polish academic Massimiliano Nuzzolo from the Institute of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Studies stated, "We knew there was something beneath the stone temple of Nyuserra (the sixth pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty). However, we were unsure whether this was a previous phase of the same temple's construction or a new temple." According to The Telegraph, initial excavation efforts revealed brick foundations of an older building beneath the temple, indicating that another structure once existed at that site. Subsequent cleaning and excavation efforts led to the discovery of columns made of white limestone, which, according to the Polish academic, is very impressive.
The discovery of several beer jugs that were used as ritual offerings in the most sacred places for the Egyptians confirmed that this site is another temple. Academic Nuzzolo emphasizes, "There is plenty of evidence that we have found one of the lost sun temples," which he considers one of the most important discoveries in the last fifty years. However, archaeologists have not determined who built this temple. They believe it was one of the pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty, which ruled Egypt during the 25th and 24th centuries BCE, after the construction of the pyramids. Historical records indicate that the pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty constructed six temples for the sun god, each with its own name. To date, the temples built by Niuserra and the founder of the dynasty, Userkaf, have been discovered, each featuring a large courtyard with a column that stretches from east to west, as well as a large obelisk dedicated to the god Ra. It is believed that these temples aimed to deify the pharaohs during a time when reverence for the god Ra notably increased.
