Edfu Temple Restoration Project Reveals Colored Inscriptions on Temple's Surface for 1st Time

The joint archaeological mission between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the University of Würzburg in Germany revealed the Edfu Temple's original colors and uncovered several inscriptions during the restoration project. This project, dedicated to the worship of the god Horus, began in 2021 with funding from the German Gerda Henkel Foundation.

In his remarks, Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, commended the efforts of the restorers, especially Egyptians, in preserving Egypt's cultural heritage. He praised their tireless work to uncover inscriptions in Egyptian temples and restore their original colors, describing it as a wonderful effort to reveal the antiquities that covered them for many years. 

He emphasized the need to expedite the work in preparation for the winter tourist season and to welcome visitors and tourists from all over the world.

According to Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the temple restoration project is part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' strategy to preserve Egypt's cultural and civilizational heritage for all of humanity.

The project aims to clean the temple walls, republish the texts and scenes, and digitally document them in new editions with more accurate translations and studies. It also includes the restoration and cleaning of the shrines and interior walls of the temple, as well as fixing colors, removing soot, and conducting detailed studies of the texts and scenes on the walls of the Holy of Holies and the adjacent rooms.

During the restoration of the temple's ceiling and walls, remains of colored scenes and writings in the Demotic script were discovered, along with traces of gold colors used to gild the reliefs of jewelry, royal insignia, and the bodies of the gods.

Overall, the efforts made in this project will greatly contribute to restoring the temple to its original state and preserving its inscriptions. This will also enhance the tourist experience for visitors to the temple, as the Edfu Temple is a unique monument of ancient religion and architecture, renowned for its bright, shiny colors that have a special charm.