Archaeologists uncover two major monuments at Karnak Temple

Cairo, August 08 (ANI): French-Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed two major monuments while working at the Karnak Temple in Luxor.

The first is the wall that once enclosed the New Kingdom temple of the god Petah and the second is a gate dated back to the reign of 25th dynasty King Shabaka (712-698 BC), reports the Palestine Telegraph.

Christophe Tiers, director of the Karnak French mission, said that the mission has also uncovered a number of engraved blocks from the Petah temple. During the restoration process, archaeologists realised that the blocks date to the reign of King Tuthmosis III (1479-1425 BC) which means that the construction of the temple started under Egyptian rule and not during the Ptolemaic dynasty as was previously thought.

Ptolemaic mud brick walls, which surrounded the temple, were also uncovered.

Dominique Velballe, professor at the faculty of archaeology at the Sorbonne, said that French restorers are now carrying out comprehensive work to reconstruct the temple and open it to the public next year. (ANI)