The Egyptian-German Archaeological Mission at the Matariya archaeological site has discovered new finds that point to a temple of Kng Ramses II, the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry said on Tuesday.
Mahmud Afifi, the head of the Ancient Egyptian sector at the ministry, said in the statement that the new finds were uncovered about 450 meters to the west of the obelisk of King Senusret I in Matariya.
The mission stumbled upon a number of blocks from the temple courtyards and fragments of the temple statuary.
The mission also found a group of large blocks with carvings depicting King Ramses II anointing a divinity. His name is rendered by a rather rare variant “Paramessu”, Afifi added.
Ayman Ashmawi, co-director of the mission, said that the recent finds were part of the decoration of the innermost rooms of the temple. Further groups of relief fragments attest to king Ramses II as builder of this temple.
"It confirms the hypothesis that Ramses II showed special interest in Heliopolis in the later decades of his long reign of almost 70 years," Ashmawi added.
In addition, Dr. Dietrich Raue, co-director of the mission, said excavations in the area revealed houses and workshops of a mid-Ptolemaic stratum, and these are currently under excavation.
Among other finds in the area are amulets and metal tools.
