Qsar Qaroun

Qsar Qaroun is a well preserved Ptolemaic temple, probably from the latter part of the 4th century BCE. Of particular interest is the solar alignment of the temple. On the winter solstice, the sun directly shines in and illuminates the holy of holies, shown with artificial light in the 2nd picture.
The 1st picture is the entry gateway into the building that looks like a large sandstone box. The interior, pictures 3&4, is a warren of nooks, corridors, and underground storage spaces for valuables. The 5th picture is one of the few engravings here, this one of Sobek, the crocodile headed god. The last picture looks from the roof over the desert to the edge of the Fayoum oasis.Read more