A joint Egyptian-Polish mission has discovered the ruins of a Ptolemaic-era sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Sopdet, the personification of the star Sirius. Located near the ancient port of Berenike, the Temple of the Star-Navigator served as a crucial ritual site for sailors venturing into the Indian Ocean. The temple’s inner sanctum contains a rare astronomical ceiling featuring a celestial map that helped mariners determine the timing of the Nile flood and the onset of trade winds.
The excavation unearthed a cache of maritime offerings, including miniature silver anchors and glass beads from the Mediterranean, alongside incense burners containing frankincense from the Horn of Africa. This discovery highlights the syncretic nature of coastal Egyptian religion, where traditional deities were worshipped as protectors of international commerce. The mission plans to use photogrammetry to create a digital reconstruction of the astronomical ceiling for public display in the Grand Egyptian Museum.