Shunet El Zebib is a large mudbrick structure located in Abydos, Upper Egypt. It was built by the ancient Egyptian king Khasekhemwy during the Second Dynasty. The structure, which dates back to around 2700 BC, consists of two interlaced rectangular walls, with the outer wall measuring 137 x 77 meters and the inner wall 123 x 56 meters. The outer wall was once decorated with niches, imitating a royal palace facade.
The inner court of the building is largely empty, and the purpose of a square, flat mount found in its midst remains unknown. The only identified cultic building at the site is a small chapel close to the south-eastern corner. Shunet El Zebib has been evaluated as the most advanced and most massive version of a Ka-house.
Preservation works at Shunet El Zebib have focused on the filling of gaps and holes in the enclosure walls since 2002. These efforts are necessary because the walls are heavily damaged by natural aging and local hornets that burrow into the bricks.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Mutabor
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