The Solar Temple at Abu Gorab was originally known as the Sun Temple of  Niuserre, a place of worship of the God Ra that was supposedly constructed during the fifth dynasty of the Old Kingdom, or sometime around 2400 BCE. It is located about a kilometer north of Abusir, on the west bank of the Nile between Giza and Saqqara, therefore it’s relatively close to the Great Pyramid.

The complex consisted of numerous structures but the real Solar Temple was the large courtyard measuring 80 meters by 110 meters, located in the upper part of the temple which was accessed through a covered ramp 90 meters long and 16 meters high.

The courtyard was dominated by a thick obelisk, or Benben, visible from the whole valley and about 36 meters high on a base of about 20 meters, both covered with white limestone and with the pyramidion in granite covered with sheets of gilded copper that reflected the sun’s rays with blinding flashes.

An impressive and monumental alabaster altar that is still visible today was at the center of the courtyard.

The altar consists of four blocks of alabaster arranged around a circular element of about six meters and has an unusual shape. 

The four alabaster blocks are precisely oriented towards the four cardinal points.

Nine large circular alabaster/granite basins are also still on display at the site.

Egyptologists believe that the basins were used by the ancient Egyptians to hold sacrificial animal blood, which, once filled, ran through perfectly drilled channels cut into the stone.

Despite this belief, experts have not found a single piece of evidence that suggests that sacrificial blood ran through these massive dishes and channels.

These granite artifacts also have enigmatic circular marks as well as “gear” like features. They also show impressive perfectly round holes. 

The remains of the Solar Temple at Abu Gorab might stand as evidence of some sort of cataclysmic event that may have occurred there in the distant past since many of the massive stone blocks are scattered across the site as if some unknown force caused these casing stones to be dispersed all over the site.