Reham Atya holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and is a scientific writer and translator dedicated to making complex science accessible. Her work has appeared in various scientific journals and cultural platforms like Aljazeera.net.
Archaeologists have identified the first ancient Egyptian astronomical observatory on record, which they say is the"first and largest" of its kind, according to a translated statement from the country's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The team uncovered the ruins of an L-shaped mud-brick building spanning over 9,150 square feet . Its east-facing entrance, marked by a traditional gateway known as a pylon, leads to a spot where sunlight would have illuminated where the sky observer — known as 'smn pe' and who was usually a priest — stood to track the sun and stars, Ghonim said.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."Along the hall's northern side, we discovered a slanted stone sundial — a sun shadow clock that used the shifting angles of the sun's shadows to determine sunrise, noon and sunset — a simple yet profound method," said Ghonim, who noted that, initially, archaeologists thought the clock was a temple gate.
"The ancient Egyptians envisioned the Earth and sky as two mats," Ghonim said."They mapped the sky on the 'Themet Hrt' — the sky mat — and the 'Themet Ghrt,' or Earth mat, represented their calendar, marking events like the Nile flood and harvest. This is the first inscribed stone mat of its kind ever discovered."
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