Middle Egypt: El-Ashmunein to

Ihnasya El-Medina
3:46 AM May Farouk No comments
Ramessid calcite statuette of a priest with
leopard-skin garment and a baboon squatting
around his neck. Oxford, Ashmolean museum
El-Ashmunein
El-Ashmunein, ancient Egyptian Khmun (!-to"n#$% Name& 'or the group o'
eight &eities (og&oa&$ "ho represente& the "orl& (e'ore crea-tion, "as calle&
in )reek *ermopolis a'ter *ermes (+ Egyptian ,hoth$% -t "as the capital o' the
./th 0pper Egyptian nome an& the main cult center o' ,hoth, the go& o'
healing an& o' "is&om, an& the patron o' scri(es% No early remains ha1e (een
'oun& there, (ut this is pro(a(ly the result o' chance &estruction%
,he site is in a (roa& an& rich area o' the Nile 1alley% -t is no" 1ery (a&ly
ruine&, "ith small parts o' temples stan&ing a(o1e the general ru((le% 2nly
the 3oman 4erio& agora "ith its early 5hristian (asilica is at all "ell
preser1e&, gi1ing e1i&ence o' the great prosperity o' the to"n in late anti6uity %
Granite columns of late Roman
basilica at El-Ashmunein
A nati1e Egyptian monument that "as still stan&ing in .!78 consiste& o' t"o
ro"s o' columns 'rom the hypostyle hall o' the temple o' ,hoth, &ating to
Ale9an&er the )reat an& 4hilip Arrhi&aeus% A(out 788 m south o' this temple
"as an earlier pylon o' 3amesses --, in "hose 'oun&ations more than .,/88
(locks 'rom &ismantle& temples o' Akhenaten at El-:Amarna "ere 'oun& (y a
)erman e9pe&ition un&er );nther 3oe&er (et"een .<7< an& .<3<% 2ther
monuments o' the =ynastic 4erio& that can no" (e seen are the entrance to a
temple o' Amenemhet -- an& the 'irst pylon o' a .<th =ynasty temple o' Amun
"ith relie's o' >ethos --% All these (uil&ings "ere in a central sacre& area o'
the to"n , surroun&e& (y a massi1e mu&-(rick enclosure o' the 38th
=ynasty %
,he prosperity o' the )reco-3oman 4erio& "as &ue to agriculture an& to the
prestige o' ,hoth, "ho "as "orshipe& as *ermes ,rismegistos (thrice-great
*ermes#$ (y )reek an& Egyptian alike, an& ha& the *ermetic 5orpus o'
mystical "ritings ascri(e& to him% *ermopolis an& ,una el-)e(el (ecame
centers o' pilgrimage 'or )reeks an& Egyptians%
Tuna El-Gebel
Greco-Egptian painting in
mortuar house !" at #una El-Gebel
,he site o' ,una El-)e(el is scattere& 'or a(out 3 km along the &esert ? km
"est o' El-Ashmunein% A (oun&ary steak o' Akhenaten, the earliest
monument, is one o' the most accessi(le o' a series o' such stelae% A group
o' si9, o' "hich this is the north"estern (stela A$, is name& in the te9t as
marking the limits o' El-:Amarna "ith its agricultural hinterlan& % ,he
monument consists o' a rock-cut shrine# a little "ay up the escarpment, "ith
the stela, "ith its much-ero&e& te9t, to one si&e% ,he top o' the stela has a
relie' o' the royal couple a&oring the solar &isk% @esi&e it are t"o pair statues
o' the king an& 6ueen, also rock-cut, "hose arms are in &i''erent gestures,
pro(a(ly o' a&oration an& o' o''ering A the pairs are accompanie& (y much
smaller 'igures o' princesses%
,o the south is the late necropolis o' El-Ashmunein% ,he earliest o(Bects 'oun&
here are Aramaic papyri o' the /th century @5% ,hese a&ministrati1e
&ocuments o' the 4ersian occupation "ere in a Bar in the catacom(s o' i(is
an& (a(oon (urials that are the largest 'eature o' the site, an& inclu&e& a
(a(oon sarcophagus &ate& to the 4ersian Kin& =arius -% Most o' the material
in the catacom(s "as )reco-3oman in &ate, an& a selection o' pottery,
(ronCe statuettes an& mummies is no" sho"n in the museum in the near(y
to"n o' Malla"i% -(is an& (a(oon are the t"o chie' sacre& animals o' ,hoth,
the go& o' El-Ashmunein%
,he site also contains the almost uni6ue tom( o' the 'amily o' 4etosiris, "hich
&ates to the reign o' 4hilip Arrhi&aeus% -t is in the 'rom o' a temple, "ith an
entrance portico an& a cult chapel (ehin& (the (urials are in un&ergroun&
cham(ers$% -n the portico there are scenes o' &aily li'e an& o' o''ering (earers
in a mi9e& Egyptian-)reek style% ,he chapel contains tra&itional religious
scens an& important te9ts, inclu&ing an e9tensi1e &escription o' "orks in the
temples o' *ermopolis%
>outh o' the tom( o' 4etosiris is a large )reek city o' the &ea& o' the 'irst
centuries A=, "ith tom(s an& mortuary houses &ecorate& in a comple9
mi9ture o' )reek an& Egyptian styles% @oth the galleries an& the city o' the
&ea& "ere e9ca1ate& (y the Egyptian Egyptologist >ami )a(ra (et"een the
t"o "orl& "ars%
El-Sheikh Ibada
,his is the site o' the ancient Antinoopolis, 'oun&e& (y Emperor *a&rian in
.38 A= to commemorate his 'a1orite Antinous "ho ha& &ro"ne& here% Among
the earlier monuments the largest is the temple o' 3amesses --, &e&icate& to
the go&s o' El-Ashmunein an& *eliopolis%
Beni Hasan with Speos Atemidos
@eni *asan, some 73 km south o' El-Minya, on the east (ank o' the Nile, is
the most important an& in'ormati1e Mi&&le King&om pro1incial necropolis
(et"een Asyut an& Memphis% -t contains 3< large rock-cut tom(s, at least
eight o' them (elonging to the )reat 21erlor&s o' the 2ry9 name# (the .6th
nome o' 0pper Egypt$ o' the en& o' the ..th an& the early .7th =ynasties%
,he (iographical te9t in th tom( (No% 7$ o' the last o' the hol&ers o' the title,
Amenemhet, is &ate& Dear 43, month 7 o' the inun&ation season, &ay ./# o'
the reign o' >en"osret -% Although the tom(s o' his t"o successors,
Khnumhotpe -- (No% .3$ an& Khnumhotpe --- (No% 3$, &o not sho" an
apprecia(le &iminution o' material resources, the centraliCation that "as
gra&ually achie1e& (y the early kings o' the .7th =ynasty ultimately (roke the
string o' the 'amilies o' nomarchs in the "hole o' Mi&&le Egypt, an& large
rock-cut tom(s cease& to (e (uilt% ,he plan o' the latest among the tom(s
consists o' (.$ an& outer court "ith a portico 'orme& (y t"o pillars, (7$ a
rectangular main room "ith 'our polygonal pillars an& (3$ a statue niche % ,he
&ecoration, no" rapi&ly &eteriorating, is painte& throughout, an& military
acti1ities, such as siege scenes, 'igure 1ery prominently% @elo" these tom(s
there are others, more mo&est, some o' "hich go (ack to the 6th =ynasty %
>outh o' @eni *asan is >peos Artemi&os (locally kno"n as -sta(l :Antar$, a
rock temple &e&icate& to the local lioness go&&ess 4akhet, (uilt (y Eueen
*atshepsut% ,he architra1e (ears a long &e&icatory te9t "ith the 'amous
&enunciation o' *yksos%
!awyet el-Amwat
,he most important 'eatures at this site are a step pyrami&, perhaps o' the 3r&
=ynasty, an& a necropolis o' rock-cut tom(s, mainly o' the en& o' the 2l&
king&om, "hich (elonge& to ancient *e(enu (mo&ern Kom el-Ahmar$, the
early capital o' the .6th 0pper Egyptian nome %
Tihna el-Gebel
,he rock-cut tom(s (Fraser ,om(s#$ at ,ihna &ate to the 2l& King&om% A
(out 7 km north o' them, close to the mo&ern 1illage ,there are remains o' the
ancient to"n Akoris an& three small temples an& a necropolis o' the )reco-
3oman perio&%
El-Bahnasa
Fittle is kno"n a(out 4er-me&Be& (5optic 4em&Be$, the capital o' the .<th
0pper Egyptian nome, 'rom the =ynastic 4erio&% Although it playe& an
interesting part in Egyptian mythology, its pha-raonic remains are unkno"n%
,he to"n came to prominence &uring the )reco-3oman 4erio& "hen it "as
calle& 29yrhynchus, a'ter the local cult o' the Mormyrus 'ish% -ts ru((ish
heaps ha1e pro&uce& many thousan&s o' )reek papyri ()ren'ell an& *unt,
.!<6-.<8?$, e6uale& in num(ers only (y those 'oun& in the to"ns o' the
Faiyum%
El-Hiba
,his is a to"n site (ancient Egyptian ,eu&Boi$ "ith a much-&estroye& temple
(uilt (y >hoshen6 -% -t "as the northern limit o' the ,he(ai& &uring the 7.st-
7/th =ynasties%
"ishasha
=ishasha is kno"n 'or its late 2l& King&om tom(s, inclu&ing some (elonging
to the chie' o''icials o' the 78th 0pper Egyptian nome% ,he rock-cut tom( o'
-nti contains a rare scene o' the siege o' a 'orti'ie& to"n %
#he detecti$e side of Egptolog% #he tomb relief on the right ,
now in &useo Arqueologico 'ational in &adrid was found during
exca$ations of a "st intermediate period cemeter south of the
temple of (arsaphes at )hnasa El-&adina in "*+,. #he fragment
on the left was alread in market in 'ew -ork since "*+.
incorrectl dated and with a misleading indication of its pro$enance.
Ihnasya el-Medina
A (out ./ km "est o' @eni sue', on the right (ank o' the @ahr Dusu', is the
mo&ern 1illage o' -hmasya el-Me&ina % ,he 1illage &eri1es its name 'rom
ancient Egyptian *enen-nesut (5optic *nes$, the capital o' the 78th 0pper
Egyptian nome, "hich "as situate& near(y , 4ro(a(ly mainly "est o' it % As
the chie' go& o' the ancient to"n "as the ram-hea&e& *arsaphes (Egyptian
*erishe', literally *e "ho is on his lake# $, later i&enti'ie& "ith )reek
*erakles, it ac6uire& the 5lassical name *erakleopolis Magna%
,he remains o' the temple o' *arsaphes lie south"est o' the 1illage, an& ha1e
(een e9ca1ate& (y E% Na1ille ( .!<.-<7$, "% m% Flin&ers 4etrie (.<84$ an& in
recent years (y a >panish e9pe&ition (G% FopeC$% ,he earliest monuments
&ate to the .7 th =ynasty% =uring the .! th =ynasty the temple "as enlarge&%
@ut the maBor re(uil&ing program "as &ue to 3amesses --% ,he temple
continue& to (e use& &uring the 3r& -nterme&iate an& Fate perio&s%
,he most prominent part *erakleopolis e1er playe& in Egyptian history "as
&uring the .st -nterme&iate perio& "hen it "as the seat o' the rulers o' the
<thH.8th (*erakleopolitan$ =ynasty%
No temples o' this or earlier perio&s ha1e yet (een locate&, (ut tom(s o'
contemporary o''icials ha1e (een 'oun& some 388 m south o' the temple%
>outheast o' the temple o' *arsaphes, at Kom el- A6ari(, there "as another
temple (uilt (y 3amesses --% >i&mant el-)e(el, a(out ? km to the "est, "as
pro(a(ly the main necropolis ser1ing the to"n, "ith gra1es an& rock-cut
tom(s ranging 'rom the .st -nterme&iate to the )reco-3oman perio&s%