A joint Egyptian-Polish mission has announced the discovery of a 4th-century BCE sanctuary dedicated to Osiris-Canopus, colloquially known as the 'Temple of the Star-Sailor.' Located south of the ancient port of Berenike, the temple served as a primary ritual site for mariners navigating the Erythraean Sea. The find includes a rare bronze astrolabe-inspired offering table used for celestial navigation rituals.
The structure features a unique maritime-religious synthesis, with limestone walls inscribed with Greek and Demotic prayers for safe passage. Excavators found a series of intact votive anchors made of lead and stone, suggesting the temple was a vital hub for trade guilds operating between the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Indian subcontinent. This discovery highlights the early globalization of temple rituals in the Red Sea region.