CAIRO: More than 1,000 Egyptian and foreign tourists gathered at the Karnak Temple Complex near Luxor on Wednesday to witness a spectacular natural phenomenon, as the sun rose perpendicularly over the ancient site.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the sun appeared over the axis of the temples at exactly 6:31 a.m., with its rays passing from the eastern gate, through the Holy of Holies to the main gate.
Karnak Antiquities organized the event so that the huge crowds of visitors could enjoy the phenomenon in an orderly manner, he added.
Fathi Yassin, director-general of Upper Egypt Antiquities, said the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics provided small astronomical telescopes for visitors to better follow the event, which was accompanied by performances of folk music and dancing.
Mustafa Al-Saghir, director-general of Karnak Antiquities, said the event, which happens annually on Dec. 21 and marks the start of winter, was evidence of the ancient Egyptians’ deep understanding of the relationship between astronomy and architecture.
The French-Egyptian Center for the Study of the Temples of Karnak was the first to record the solar alignment.
Construction of Karnak, which is dedicated to the god Amun, his wife Mut and son Khonsu, began around 2000 B.C. during the Middle Kingdom period. A new temple was built on the site during the era of the New Kingdom — to which King Tutankhamun and King Ramses II belonged — with each ruler adding to it as a show of their closeness to the gods and desire for immortality, and to impress their people.
The site is now a museum to the rich history of the ancient Egyptians.
The solar phenomenon at Karnak came two months after nearly 4,000 people gathered on Oct. 22 to witness the sun being perpendicular to the face of Ramses II in his great temple, the Holy of Holies, at Abu Simbel in southern Egypt.
After rising behind the waters of Lake Nasser, the sun’s rays shone through a passage between four giant statues of the pharaoh. The event, which lasted about 20 minutes, happens twice a year at the site, on Oct. 22 and Feb. 22.
The Egyptian State Information Service said that the perpendicular sun phenomenon also happened every Dec. 21 at Deir El-Bahari and Qasr Qarun in Fayoum, southwest of Cairo.
Sun-tastic! Tourists flock to see solar phenomenon at Egypt’s Karnak temples
https://arab.news/9y4x5
Sun-tastic! Tourists flock to see solar phenomenon at Egypt’s Karnak temples
- Perpendicular sunrise happens annually at historic site every Dec. 21
- Event evidence of ancient Egyptians’ deep understanding of astronomy, expert says
Israel PM holds coalition meeting after objecting to Gaza panel
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling coalition partners on Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza advisory panel
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling coalition partners on Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza advisory panel formed by the White House, according to an official and media reports.
The White House announced this week the setting up of a “Gaza Executive Board,” which would operate under a broader “Board of Peace” to be chaired by US President Donald Trump as part of his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.
The executive board, described as having an advisory role, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, alongside other regional and international officials.
Late on Saturday, Netanyahu’s office objected to the composition of the executive board.
“The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” the office of Netanyahu said.
“The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter.”
It did not explain the reason for its objection, but Israel has previously objected strongly to any Turkish role in post-war Gaza, with relations between the two countries deteriorating sharply since the war began in October 2023.
In addition to naming Turkiye’s foreign minister to the executive board, Trump has also invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join the overarching Board of Peace.
Media reports said that leaders of the country’s ruling coalition were scheduled to meet on Sunday to examine the composition of the executive board.
“There is a meeting scheduled of the coalition at 10:00 am (0800 GMT),” the spokesman of Netanyahu’s Likud Party told AFP, declining to provide further details.
Alongside Likud, the coalition includes the Religious Zionist Party led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The White House said Trump’s plan would include three bodies: the Board of Peace, chaired by Trump; a Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing Gaza; and the Gaza Executive Board, which would play an advisory role.
The Palestinian technocratic committee held its first meeting in Cairo on Saturday.
The diplomatic developments came as the United States said this week that the Gaza truce plan had entered a second phase, shifting from implementing a ceasefire to the disarmament of Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
