MYSTERY TEMPLE DISCOVERED IN EGYPT AT OASIS LIKELY VISITED BY ANTINOUS

A temple dating to the time just after Antinous was deified has been discovered in the famous Siwa Oasis in Egypt.

The temple was built during the reign of Antoninus Pius, who succeeded Emperor Hadrian, and who fulfilled Hadrian's wishes to build temples to Antinous throughout the empire.

Hadrian and Antinous slew a man-eating lion in Egypt and it is possible the SACRED LION HUNT occurred in the Siwa Oasis, which was the location of an Oracle consulted by Alexander the Great.

Dr. Aiman Ashmawi, head of the Egyptian Antiquities department, said, "The discovered temple of huge limestone foundations in rectangular shape measured 40 meters from north to south and 8.5 meters from east to west.

"The entrance is in the northern side with small two rooms on each side," he added.

"The entrance leads to a courtyard of 25 meters in length then another room leads to the sanctuary. The temple surrounded by enclosure wall measures 71 meters by 56 meters," he said.

Abd El-Aziz Demiry, General Director of Matrouh and Siwa Antiquities, said "One of the most important discovered parts is a limestone block with inscriptions in Greek topped with a ledge shows the sun disc surrounded with cobras."

The inscriptions helped in defining the name of the emperor. The block measures 5 meters by 1 meter and found in 3 parts.”

Mr. Demiry also added that the block is in good condition and it was transferred to the storeroom in Siwa to conduct the necessary preservation needed.