The remains of a valley temple which was part of the sun temple complex of the Fifth Dynasty Pharaoh Nyuserre (2445-2428 BCE) have been uncovered in Abusir, a vast site spanning between Giza and Saqqara in Egypt.

In particular, the Italian archaeological mission in the Abu Ghurab area of ​​Abusir, led by Dr. Massimiliano Nuzzolo and Dr. Rosanna Pirelli from the Universities of Turin and Naples, respectively, unearthed the remains of the temple during ongoing excavations at the site.

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of this discovery, explaining that the temple in Abusir is one of only two known ancient Egyptian sun temples—temple complexes dedicated to the cult of Ra. He added that the mission has successfully uncovered more than half of the temple, revealing a massive structure exceeding 1,000 sq.m., distinguished by its unique architectural plan. Its dimensions make the temple one of the largest valley temples in the Memphis necropolis. He noted that the German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt had identified the temple’s location in 1901, but the high water table at the time prevented excavation.

Professor Mohamed Abdel-Badie, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that the excavations revealed the temple entrance, covered by a thick layer of Nile silt approximately 1.20 meters high. The original entrance floor, a limestone column base, and the remains of a circular granite column, likely part of the main entrance portico, were also uncovered. Fragments of the original stone cladding of the walls of the passageway between the entrance gate and the ascending causeway were also unearthed, along with several architectural elements found in their original positions within the temple, including granite lintels and doorways.

In a related context, project co-director Dr. Massimiliano Nuzzolo noted that during the previous excavation season, the mission discovered a complete, well-preserved quartzite gate, along with the remains of an internal staircase leading to the roof, in the northwestern part of the temple, suggesting the presence of a secondary entrance. He added that current excavations have also revealed a slope believed to have connected the temple to the Nile or one of its branches, and that initial indications confirm the building’s northward extension, following the architectural style of the Fifth Dynasty temple complexes, including the valley temple of King Sahure’s pyramid at Abusir.

The mission also unearthed a remarkable collection of artifacts, including two wooden pieces of the ancient Egyptian game of Senet, which was similar to modern chess.

Dr. Rosanna Pirelli, who co-directs the project with Dr. Nuzzolo, noted the discovery of a massive stone lintel inscribed with hieroglyphs containing a calendar of religious ceremonies for the temple, as well as mentioning the name of King Nyuserre. Fragments of inscribed white limestone were also found, along with large quantities of pottery dating from the late Old Kingdom to the early Middle Kingdom, with most belonging to the First Intermediate Period. Preliminary studies indicate that after its function as a royal place of worship ended, the temple was transformed into a small residential area inhabited by local people during the First Intermediate Period. This provides a new source of information for understanding the daily lives of the inhabitants of the Memphis region during this little-documented period of ancient Egyptian history.

The mission is preparing to continue its work in the coming seasons to explore further aspects of this important archaeological site and uncover new details that will greatly contribute to our understanding of the origins and development of sun temples in ancient Egypt.

Sun Temple Complexes

During the Fifth Dynasty (2494-2345 BCE), each Pharaoh build a temple complex dedicated to the sun god Ra. Due to their solar cult association, these temple complexes are known as sun temples. Their plan follows but does not reproduce that of a pyramid complex, featuring a) a massive obelisk-shaped structure which is the focus of the cult (instead of a pyramid), b) a temple surrounding to the structure (instead of being attached, as in the pyramids), c) another temple, known as valley temple, built in the cultivation zone along the Nile and connected to the first one with a causeway. All sun temple complexes are built close to the main Fifth Dynasty pyramid necropolis, covering the adjacent areas of Abusir and Abu Gurob, both 15 km south of Cairo. Only two out of six known sun temple complexes have been located: those of Pharaohs Userkaf (2494-2487 BCE) and Nyuserre. Since now, Nyuserre’s complex was known only partially as only its structure and main temple was known. Now, the discovery of the valley temple completes the cultic complex’s image.