Ancient ‘Sacred Lake’Uncovered in Karnak Temple Complex. Luxor, Egypt — January 25, 2026 An Egyptian-Chinese archaeological mission announced on Saturday the discovery of an ancient “sacred lake “within the Montu Temple precinct in the Karnak Temple Complex, a significant archaeological site in southern Egypt.
The lake, which covers an area of more than 50 square meters, lies west of the Maat Temple and is believed to be a man-made water reservoir with a well-defined structure.
According to the joint mission’s head, Jia Xiaobing, this discovery marks a significant contribution to Egyptology and Egyptian archaeological history.
The lake, which has not been recorded in earlier archaeological archives, complements the previously known sacred lake of the Montu Temple, forming a unique layout of two sacred lakes aligned north and south within the Karnak enclosure walls. Sacred lakes were a crucial component of ancient Egyptian temple architecture, serving as holy sources of water for ritual use within temples.
This new finding provides valuable insights into the ritual infrastructure across the various precincts of Karnak.
In addition to the sacred lake, the mission has also unearthed dozens of cow jaw remains and reused stone blocks associated with kings and the divine adoratrice from the Late Period (747-332 BC). Further excavations in the Osirian chapel area revealed three chapels dedicated to the god Osiris, along with Osiris statuettes and fragments linked to the divine adoratrice.
The joint mission, formed by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, has been conducting archaeological excavations and research at the Montu Temple since 2018.
The project has received support from the Zhengzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Mohamed Abdel-Badie, head of the Egyptian antiquities sector and also the Egyptian head of the project, emphasized the significance of the archaeological cooperation between China and Egypt. “.
The archaeological cooperation between China and Egypt is a collaboration between two ancient civilisations, conveying a message of dialogue, history, and civilisations, “he. Further details about the findings are expected to be released as the excavation continues.
The discovery is considered a significant achievement in the field of Egyptian archaeology and reinforces the importance of international collaboration in the study of ancient civilizations.
Source: [Ancient Egyptian ingenuity in the Sacred Lake of Luxor — Facebook. Com/groups/962161709010454/posts/1049267120299912/ (facebook.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
