El-Tod

El-Tod, located southwest of Luxor, was an ancient Egyptian town notable for its temple dedicated to the god Montu. The site traces its history back to the Old Kingdom, with the earliest artifact being a granite pillar from the Fifth Dynasty's Pharaoh Userkaf, who also expanded the temple. The site saw significant construction during the Eleventh Dynasty under Mentuhotep II and III, and a complete temple rebuild under Senwosret I. The temple was further expanded in the Ptolemaic period under Ptolemy VIII. El-Tod is also renowned for the Tod Treasure, a collection of silver and lapis lazuli artifacts discovered in 1936, indicating extensive trade networks with other early civilizations. The treasure's origins hint at connections with regions like Knossos, Iran, and Anatolia.