Sun illuminates at Qasr Qaroun Temple in Fayyum

The Egyptian governorate of Fayyum celebrated on Saturday the alignment of the sun on the Holy of the Holies of Qasr Qaroun temple, located near the western edge of Lake Qarun in the governorate.

 

On December 21, the sun illuminates the sanctuary of the temple of the crocodile-god Sobek, a phenomenon known as "the Winter solstice". It represents the sun rebirth.

 

Sun illuminates Horus of Behdet (the winged sun disk at the top of the temple’s entrance) with shafts of light slowly creeping through the temple to illuminate the middle chapel of the of Holy of the Holies, which is supposed to have the sacred bark of god Sobek( the crocodile).

 

The light then deviates to right to illuminate the right chapel which is supposed to have the statue of sobek god (the crocodile), whilst the left chapel remains in the shadows.

 

This phenomenon completely goes in accordance with the nature of that animal (the crocodile) which stays at the eastern bank of the river at the sunrise, then, moves to the western riverbank and sinks into the darkness of the river at the sunset.

 

Fayyum Governor Gamal Samy and a number of officials attended the ceremony.