Restoration work at the Temple of Edfu in Egypt has unveiled ancient Egyptian paintings dating back thousands of years.
The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the god Horus, was built between 237 and 57 B.C. during the reigns of Ptolemy III and Ptolemy XII.
A collaborative effort between Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the University of Würzburg has been undertaking restoration efforts at the temple.
Egyptian temples were once adorned with vibrant colors and gold. During the restoration of the Temple of Edfu, these elements have been uncovered.
A team of conservators led by Ahmed Abdel Naby has cleaned up reliefs and paintings, carefully removing dust, bird droppings, and soot from sandstone reliefs.
This discovery is unique, as most ancient Egyptian temples have minimal or no preserved painting.
Gold leaf decorations, another rare find “due to their fragility,” have been discovered in the temple, primarily on the higher walls.
“The gilding of the figures presumably not only served to symbolically immortalize and deify them but also contributed to the mystical aura of the room,” said Victoria Altmann-Wendling, the project manager. “It must have been very impressive, especially when the sunlight was shining in.”
“The fact that the gods were completely gilded is particularly interesting. We find this in the textual sources that describe the flesh of the gods as consisting of gold,” Altmann-Wendling said.
The temple also revealed dipinti, graffiti painted in ink using Demotic script. This serves as “direct testimony of the priest entering the temple.”