Circular Pelusium temple reveals ancient Nile water rituals

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare circular temple at Tell el-Farama in Pelusium, a 2,200-year-old religious site dedicated to the deity Pelusius. The sanctuary features a 115-foot-diameter circular basin with a central pedestal that once held a statue of Pelusius, surrounded by water infrastructure and channels connected to the Nile, suggesting sacred water rituals. Excavations indicate the temple was built in the 2nd century BCE and remained in use through the 6th century CE, reflecting a fusion of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman influences in this cosmopolitan Nile Delta port city of Pelusium.