In the 14th century, a temple was built in the Theban region of Egypt to commemorate King Amenhotep III, one of the kings of the 18th Dynasty, considered the most powerful dynasty to rule Egypt in ancient history. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the temple except for two colossal statues known as the Colossi of Memnon, each reaching a height of 19.20 meters. These are all that remains of the memorial temple to Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The sun’s rays align with two reliefs depicting statues of Amun and Menture in the sanctuary of the Roman temple known as Deir Shelwit, located on the West Bank of Luxor. The temple was built on a solar axis to receive the sun twice a year, on October 23rd and February 20th. Deir Shelwit is the eighth archaeological site where the sun aligns with its sanctuary, confirming the ancient Egyptians’ pioneering role in astronomy thousands of years ago. It is worth mentioning that the Deir Shelwit Temple is located south of Mount Memnon, and 4 kilometers south of the famous Medinet Habu temples in western Luxor. The temple was dedicated to the worship of Isis, the goddess of motherhood and childhood among the ancient Egyptians, and this temple is known to tourists as the Little Temple of Isis.
