An archaeological mission from the Universities of Turin and Naples L’Orientale, led by Massimiliano Nuzzolo and Rosanna Pirelli, has made an important discovery for the study of ancient Egypt. Excavations conducted at the site of Abu Ghurab, 20 km south of Cairo, have uncovered the “valley temple” of the Solar Complex of Pharaoh Nyuserre, one of the most significant rulers of Old Kingdom (3rd Millennium BC) Egypt, the era of the great pyramids.
The Sun Temple of Nyuserre is the oldest known example of a cult building explicitly dedicated to the sun god Ra, the central deity of ancient Egyptian religion. The temple was discovered in the late 19th century by the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt, who also identified the site of the “valley temple,” but was unable to proceed with excavations due to the extremely high water table. Current environmental changes—linked to the effects of the Aswan Dam, climate change, and the shifting course of the Nile—have however made it possible to conduct, between 2024 and 2025, new archaeological investigations in this sector of the site.
The structures unearthed so far indicate a building of monumental dimensions: the investigated area exceeds 1,000 square meters and represents approximately half of the entire sanctuary. The temple had an original height of over 5.5 meters and is composed of a main colonnade entrance – of which traces of the floor and foundations, as well as remains of granite and limestone columns were found – and a secondary entrance, with a perfectly preserved quartzite doorway. The temple was also richly decorated, with blocks bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions with the name of pharaoh Nyuserre and references to religious festivals that were probably part of a ritual calendar displayed outside the building.
Archaeological evidence and the abundant pottery found on site also indicate that the sanctuary, used as a place of worship for a hundred years, was then abandoned, only to be reoccupied several decades later by local communities as a full-fledged settlement, which lasted for over 300 years. Some exceptional finds date back to this period, such as two pieces of a senet, an ancient board game similar to modern backgammon.
The crucial importance of this discovery lies in the fact that the temple is one of only two examples of “valley temples” of solar complexes known from ancient Egypt. This provides us with a new insight into the architecture and ideology of the era of the great pyramids. In Egyptian architecture, the valley temple served as a connecting structure between the Nile and the upper sanctuary, the true center of solar worship, via a raised processional way. It played a central role, representing the landing place for ceremonial boats and a symbolic transition space between the profane and sacred realms.
Furthermore, in the Memphite area where the sanctuary is located, it is not uncommon to come across temple structures reused as settlements, but never before has such a well-preserved example been found, and above all, one used during a period—the so-called “First Intermediate Period”—that remains scarcely known so far.
The project, in addition to the Universities of Turin and Naples L’Orientale, has been supported since its inception by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
Il copyright di tutte le immagini è: © Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity & Archaeological and Topographical Expedition at the Sun Temple of Nyuserra at Abu Ghurab.
Per approfondire:
https://mediterraneoantico.it/articoli/riemerge-dalle-sabbie-degitto-un-antichissimo-tempio-solare/
https://www.dipstudistorici.unito.it/do/home.pl/View?doc=scavi_abu.html
https://www.suntemplesproject.org/
https://archaeologymag.com/2025/12/4400-year-old-sun-temple-uncovered-at-abusir-necropolis/
