Temple of the Oracle at Siwa Oasis

• 16 / 5 / 2023

Information about Temple of the Oracle 

The Temple of Omens is one of the most famous archaeological and tourist attractions in the Siwa Oasis in Matrouh Governorate, west of Cairo. The temple is located on the Aghormi plateau, 30 metres above ground level, where visitors can see a full view of the oasis with its mountains, houses and palm plantations from the top floor of the temple.

The place consists of three parts: the main temple, the ruler's palace and the guards' pavilion, with annexes such as the sacred well where washing and cleansing took place. The importance of the temple is due to the fact that it was the place of revelation of the god Amun according to ancient Egyptian beliefs during the Pharaonic era, so it became an important destination for people in that era to consult on matters that they wish to predict.

The Temple of Amun witnesses an astronomical phenomenon called the spring equinox, where the sun is perpendicular to the temple twice a year in spring and autumn, and the day and night are equal after 90 days, as it is the shortest day of the year, and 90 days later it is the longest.

The Temple of Amun or the Temple of Revelation, also called the Temple of Predictions, is one of the most famous temples of the god Amun, located in the oasis of Siwa, dating back to the 26th Dynasty. This era is called the Renaissance or the Sawi era from 646 to 526 B.C. Inscriptions in the Holy of Holies area inside the temple indicate that it was established by King Ahmose II, one of the most important kings of that dynasty.

This temple is called the Temple of Predictions because people at that time used to go to the temple to consult the god Amun in matters that they want to predict, so they go to the temple and ask the priests to consult Amun on the matter that confuses them, hence the name by which the temple is known until now.

This temple was visited by Alexander the Great in 331 BC after he arrived in Egypt and was crowned as the son of the god Amun before being installed as ruler of Egypt, Alexander the Great tried to show appreciation and respect to the Egyptian gods because he knew how important this was to them.

Alexander asked the priests to predict the fate of his future military campaigns because he knew that the temple was famous for this and that people visited it for this purpose, so he asked to be predicted whether he would rule the world or not, and the answer was yes, but not for long.