Humanity is fascinated when looking at the stars. One of the recent Perseid events that took place last August, this September is full of unique astronomical moments that we can observe from different parts of the world. Thousands of years ago, the situation was not much different, so much so that ancient civilizations began to build observatories where they could follow the dance of the universe.

The oldest observatory is estimated to have been built around 5,000 years ago, but we have now found an observatory in the Temple of the Pharaohs in Buto, Egypt that dates back 2,500 years.

Millennium Observatory. Much is said about the Mayans as the kings of astronomy, but other civilizations also have the honor of being among the most talented in this regard, and the Egyptians are undoubtedly among them. They mapped the night sky, created the first known 365-day solar calendar in history, and thanks to them our time system has 24 hours. This newly discovered observatory dates back to the 6th century BC and is located in the city of Kafr Sheikh.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Archaeology, said the structure “reveals ancient Egypt’s skill and talent in astronomy, its ability to determine the solar calendar, the dates of religious and official ceremonies, the coronation of kings and agricultural periods. This was absolutely vital as astronomers tracked the Nile floods, which were vital for both agriculture and river navigation.”

It was so bigThe complex covered an area of ​​850 square metres, with an entrance facing east to capture the sunrise, and a central ‘L’ shaped pillared hall. It had several rooms or sections, and among the various striking features was a circular room with a large stone block in the floor, and two large circular stones (to the north and west) used for taking measurements of the declination of the Sun.

Beyond these main observation-oriented rooms, a large room with walls covered in yellow slate, where murals would have been painted, and four smaller brick rooms were discovered that could have served as observation towers.

Artifacts and statuettes. To the side were five smaller rooms where tools and objects were stored. Along with the measuring instruments were found a wide variety of religious symbols, including bronze statues of Osiris and Nemes, a terracotta statue of Bes, a granite statue of Osiris, and pieces such as necklaces and ceramic amphorae.

An impressive watchThe sun was a fundamental element in astronomical observations, and in addition to the circular room block, a ‘clock room’ was also found, containing a tilted sundial made of stone. It is a room built with 4.8 metre long limestone tiles and consists of five limestone blocks, three vertical and two horizontal. It will have another component that will measure the inclination of both the sun and the shadow at a point, thus being able to track the movement of the star during the day.

Such structures were so important that Hossam Ghanim, the director general of the Kafr Sheikh Archaeological Site and responsible for this archaeological mission, revealed that in one of the rooms there was a stone block with engravings representing sunrise and sunset, the three seasons of the year. Yes, the Nile had three seasons: flooding, planting and harvesting.

After all, it is always interesting to learn more about ancient civilizations, and such discoveries help to understand the reason for the astronomical dominance of some of them.

Pictures | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

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