The abandoned buildings in Kafr el-Sheikh were once places where ancient Egyptians would stand and gaze up at the stars above.
More than 2,500 years ago, this building was the largest known astronomical observatory in Egypt in the 6th century BC and was part of what is now called the Pharaoh’s Temple. Buto.
So early astronomers diligently tracked the movements of the sun and stars, which were of great importance to the lives of the ancient Egyptians.
The Egyptians The most talented astronomer in ancient historyand their legacy continues to this day. It was in Ancient Egypt that the 365-day calendar and the 24-hour day were born. They completely mapped the night sky and had their own constellations and zodiac, some of whose signs are still recognized today.
The newly discovered observatory demonstrates those technologies, even with the scant evidence that it has withstood the ravages of time.
The building itself is made of mud brick, occupies an area of ​​850 square metres (9,150 square feet) and is built in an L-shape supported by pillars, with the entrance facing east, in the direction of sunrise.
Inside, Discovered by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Artifacts and tools related to the study of celestial bodies.
Of particular note are the large tilted shadow clocks that the ancient Egyptians invented to measure time. These clocks were a type of sundial. Using the movement of shadows The sun moves across the sky, tracking the time of day from dawn to dusk.
The clock consisted of a row of 4.8-metre (15.7 ft) limestone slabs on which were attached five flat limestone blocks (three vertical and two horizontal). Though now deteriorated with age, the blocks would have had lines carved into them to track the changing slope of the shadow cast on them as the sun moved.
A large stone block was also found in the circular chamber, which had two circular stone blocks, one each to the north and west, that were also used to track the tilt of the sun.
A series of five small rooms may have been used to store observatory tools, while four small adobe rooms and one stone room appear to have served as the observatory tower. A large hall was also found, with three walls covered with yellow mortar and painted murals.
These included a ceremonial vessel with eight niches and two oars at the rear, the front of which depicted the Head of Horus and the Eye of Wedjat, symbols associated with the god Horus and the goddess as well as the cosmos and universe. WadjetThe most important deities of Buto.
In the center of this hall is a stone pedestal engraved with astronomical scenes, mainly of sunrise and sunset, dating to around 1000 BC. The Three Seasons Observed in Ancient Egypt.
Relics from the observatory include bronze statues of Osiris and Nemeth, a terracotta statue of the god Bes, and a granite statue dating to the 1st century BC. 26th Dynastyduring the reign of Pharaoh Wahibre Psamtik I. The statue depicts Osiris and bears an inscription by the priest Psamtik Seneb, including the title of royal seal bearer.
Other remains include measuring tools, Faience Menat Necklacea faience statue of the god Ptah, faience religious symbols, pottery artefacts, mortared amphora lids and offering tables.
Astronomy was extremely important to the ancient Egyptians: they used complex calendars to record the passage of time and determine the dates of religious and political ceremonies such as festivals and coronations, and it was also important for tracking the annual flooding of the Nile River. Agricultureand navigation.
Today we take the calendar for granted – it’s part of our way of life all over the world.
But we must thank, at least in part, the hard work and ingenuity of the ancient Egyptian astronomers, and their solid engineering, that temples like these still stand, allowing us to study their work, thousands of years after their lives were lost to the sand.
