A Greek archaeological expedition has discovered a Greco-Roman temple of Zeus at Tel el-Farama in North Sinai, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage said. The researchers found the remains of brick buildings and marble stone blocks.
Tel el-Farama, whose ancient name is Pelusium, was one of the most important cities in the easternmost part of the Nile Delta. It is located 30 km southeast of the modern city of Port Said, where the Suez Canal enters from the Mediterranean Sea.
The first archaeological excavations at Tel el-Farama began in 1910 under the direction of the French Egyptologist Jean Claede. He found stone blocks with inscriptions confirming the existence of a temple in the area, but he never found the temple itself.
Just last month, more than a hundred years later, a team of Egyptian archaeologists came across chunks of red granite from the entrance gate of Cassius Zeus’ temple.
It is believed that the name “Cassius” comes from Mount Cassius (Jebel al – Accra) in Syria, which was a place of worship for the ancient Greek god of the sky, thunder and lightning.
A photogrammetric study is currently underway to learn more about the construction and architecture of the newly opened temple.