A joint Egyptian-International mission has discovered a previously unrecorded Ptolemaic-era temple dedicated to the goddess Taweret in the Minya Governorate. The sanctuary is unique for its vibrant painted stucco reliefs that depict the hippo-headed goddess protecting pregnant women and infants, a rare subject for a standalone temple complex from this period.
Inside the inner sanctum, researchers found a series of votive offering pits containing blue-faience amulets and miniature clay cradles. The architectural style blends traditional Pharaonic motifs with subtle Hellenistic flourishes, providing new evidence of the syncretic religious practices that flourished in the Middle Nile during the 3rd century BCE.