Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered an ancient sandstone monument that depicts the Roman emperor Tiberius as a pharaoh at Karnak Temple, a discovery that sheds light on how imperial rule was presented in one of the country’s most important religious centers.
The sandstone stela was found during restoration work at the northern gate of the enclosure wall built by King Ramesses III north of the Karnak temples in Luxor. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the monument dates to the reign of Tiberius, who ruled from A.D. 14 to 37.
The panel measures about 60 by 40 by 10 centimeters (23.6 by 15.7 by 3.9 inches) and includes five lines of hieroglyphic text linked to the renewal of the wall of the Temple of Amun-Ra for its protection.
Roman emperor as pharaoh in Egypt’s sacred setting
Officials said the carved scene shows Tiberius standing before the sacred triad of Karnak: Amun-Ra, Mut, and Khonsu.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the stela was found in an archaeological layer associated with mudbrick structures from the late Roman and Byzantine periods, directly northwest of the gate.
Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, said the monument’s inscription matches archaeological evidence uncovered during the project.
Abdelghaffar Wagdy, director general of Luxor antiquities and head of the Egyptian side of the mission, said the monument shows how a Roman emperor could be represented as a pharaoh in Egypt’s temple tradition.
He said the image was meant to express the ruler’s religious role in protecting sacred order, not to record a personal visit by Tiberius. He also said the stela likely served as a marker tied to restoration work on that part of the enclosure wall.
Restoration work reveals layers of Karnak history
The discovery came as an Egyptian-French archaeological mission completed a project to reassemble and restore the northern gate of Ramesses III’s wall. The work was carried out from 2022 to 2025 by the Egyptian-French Center for the Study of the Karnak Temples, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the French National Center for Scientific Research.
During the project, archaeologists dismantled the gate, restored its stone blocks, documented them, and rebuilt the structure using modern conservation methods.
The work also revealed reused decorated blocks dating to Amenhotep III and parts of the northern wall of the Temple of Amun-Ra from the New Kingdom. Researchers also found evidence of repairs during the Greek and Roman periods.
In the summer of 2025, the mission also uncovered a paved road first recorded in the early 20th century. It connects the gate of Ramesses III with the court of the third pylon inside Karnak. Officials said the restored stela will later be displayed in a museum.
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