At Ain Birbiya, between the villages of Tineida and Bashindi, an almost buried temple was found. The temple was built during the Ptolemaic period and was dedicated to Amun-Nakht. It was used also in Roman times, as shown by inscriptions and decorations made by the emperors Augustus, Titus, Galba, Domitian and Hadrian that have been found on the temple walls. The temple had three gateways and a processional way. Inside are the remains of the sanctuary and a so called contra temple and corridors and other rooms. The temple was mostly roofed but some rooms were open to the sky to let some light go in. Today the temple is still mostly under the sand. At Amheida, located 3.5 kilometers southwest of Qasr, there is an extensive Roman ruin. At the center of the site ruins of a large temple dedicated to Toth of Set-whe were found. There are also ruins of well-preserved villas. The most interesting one is the 4th century Villa of Serenus which was completely excavated. The large house contained several interesting wall paintings with motifs from Graeco-Roman mythology: scenes representing Perseus and Andromeda, Aphrodite and Ares, Medusa, Odysseus and Penelope can be found. There is also a painting that consists of an allegorical interpretation of the city. Polis, a female figure, holds the sceptre of authority in her left hand and her right hand points towards the city. A turreted crown upon her head represents the city walls. Deir Abu Matta,located on the paved road 3.4 km northwest of Rashda, is the site of a Christian basilica built in the 4th century now in ruins. The basilica, built completely out of mudbrick with walls about a meter thick, was also known as Deir al-Saba Banat (Monastery of the Seven Virgins). It contained nine rooms. Around the area there is a cemetery. A white-washed sheikh’s tomb, located less than 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) beyond Deir Abu Matta, stands beside a solitary acacia tree. Villagers throughout Egypt often visit and pray at similar tombs, asking for the protection of the sheikh or of the jiin tree, that is a tree with a spirit living in it. Close to Sheikh Mufta, a small village, there is the cemetery of Beit el Areis, with over 100 burials and nine, vaulted mudbrick tombs (CISS Inventory 2010; Vivian 1990).
