Rare gold finds and graffiti uncovered in majestic ancient Egyptian temple

Restoration work at a magnificent ancient Egyptian temple has revealed tantalizing insights into its original appearance and coloration. Alongside ongoing restoration efforts at the Temple of Edfu, a team of researchers from the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Germany, uncovered rare traces of gold leaf and remnants of colorful paintings, as well as ancient graffiti, within the building. The temple, on the west bank of the Nile, is considered to be the best-preserved sanctuary of ancient Egypt. Dedicated to the sky god Horus, the temple was built and decorated over the course of 180 years between 237 and 57 B.C. during a period when Egypt was ruled by a Hellenistic royal house known as the Ptolemaic dynasty, which originated from the ancient Kingdom of Macedon. A marvel of ancient engineering, the temple measures around 450 feet in length, roughly 250 feet wide and up to about 115 feet in height. Its surface is completely covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions and pictorial reliefs, featuring numerous religious texts and ritual scenes. In antiquity the temple was located at the center of a regional capital, comparable to a medieval cathedral, but also served as a hub of learning and higher education. The ancient Temple...