Egyptian archaeologists excavating the city of Pelusium, in the Tell El Farma region of North Sinai, have uncovered the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the god Zeus Cassius.
Zeus Cassius was connected with Mount Casius — also known as Jebel Agra — a limestone mountain on the Syrian-Turkish border near the Mediterranean.
Said to be based on the cult of a mountain god, conflated with Greek god Zeus, Zeus Cassius was worshipped mainly in Syria and Egypt, though there was also a temple in Greek island Corfu.
Parts of the Sinai temple were found about 200 metres from a colossal mud-brick complex dating back to the Greco-Roman period — between the eighth century BC and sixth century AD — discovered in 2019, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.
The archaeological mission, which is managed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, is part of a government plan to develop the Sinai Peninsula and open more of it to tourists.
The mission was first alerted to the location of the temple when they found the remains of an ancient stone gateway that had been destroyed by an earthquake centuries ago.
“The location of the discovered temple was determined based on the presence of the remains of a huge gate on the surface of the earth that collapsed in the past due to a strong earthquake that struck the city,” said Dr Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Archaeologists suspected that the gate — which consisted of two massive columns supporting a giant stone slab, all made of pink granite — had to be the entrance to a place of significance.
The temple itself, however, was built with mud bricks.
Near the temple, several other large blocks of pink granite were also found, which led some on the mission to believe that the site was later repurposed as a stone quarry.
The ministry said the same pink granite was used to construct the city’s ancient churches, the remains of which are at Pelusium today.
“The archaeological mission succeeded in revealing for the first time the remains of the temple, which was built of mud bricks on a raised platform of rubble and broken stones, and its ceiling bears columns of pink granite,” said Dr Ayman Ashmawy, head of the Egyptian antiquities section at the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Historians have found evidence that Pelusium was an established city since the early first millennium BC. This places the city in the late Pharaonic period. It was also an important city in Greco-Roman and Byzantine times.
It has a special significance in Christian scripture, where it is mentioned as the gate into Egypt from the Holy Land that the child Jesus, Mary and Joseph used to enter Egypt.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Living in...
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
