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Medinet Habu Temples, Luxor

The Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu was an important New Kingdom period temple structure in the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt.

Aside from its size and architectural and artistic importance, the temple is probably best known as the source of inscribed reliefs depicting the advent and defeat of the Sea Peoples during the reign of Ramesses III.

In front of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III (left) and the Temple of Amun (right).
Today, the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III is best known for the Temple of Millions of Years of Ramesses III, which was built near the Temple of Amun of Djemé.

  • It is this temple that gave its name to the site.

Medinet Habu Temples Plan.
Plan Legend:

  1. Crenellated wall
  2. Royal pavilion of Ramesses III
  3. Temple of Amun
  4. Taharqa Gate
  5. Sacred lake
  6. Chapels of the Divine Adorers
  7. Nectanebo Gate
  8. Nilometer
  9. Wall of Ramesses III
  10. Royal palace
  11. Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

Temple of Amun

  1. Roman courtyard and Portico
  2. Great Ptolemaic pylon
  3. Chapel, colonnade of Nectanebo I
  4. Shabaka pylon
  5. Fourth courtyard
  6. Sanctuary
    1. Small chamber in the background
    2. Small chamber in the background
    3. Small chamber in the background
    4. Central background chapel or sanctuary
    5. Naos in pink granite
    6. Small chamber isolated
  7. Hakor (Achoris) chamber

Royal Pavilion of Ramesses III

  1. Internal facade
  2. Fortress
    1. Right wing: sacrifice of captives
    2. Left wing: military scene
    3. Ramesses III leads two daughters of prisoners to the god Amun
    4. Analogous scene
    5. Ramesses III makes offerings
    6. Ramesses III makes offerings
    7. Ramesses III is led into the presence of Amun by Montu and Aten
    8. Ramesses III is led before Amun by Mut and receives the crown
  3. Guard house

Chapels of the Divine Adoratrices of Amun

  1. Chapel of Amenirdis I
  2. Chapel of Shepenupet II and Nitiqret

Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

  1. First pylon
  2. First courtyard
  3. Second pylon
  4. Second courtyard
  5. Great hypostyle hall
    1. Five treasure rooms
    2. Chapel closed by a grille
    3. Chapel of offerings
    4. Chapel of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris
    5. Chapel of Ramesses III deified
  6. Second hypostyle hall
    1. Royal chapel
    2. Chamber with two columns
    3. Chamber with astronomical ceiling
    4. Chamber with Egyptian Elysian Fields
    5. Chapel of Ramesses III
    6. Courtyard
    7. Temple of Ra-Harmakhis
  7. Third hypostyle hall
  8. Central sanctuary
    1. Mut Chapel
    2. Konsu Chapel

Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

Entrance to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III
Triumphal entrance gate, completely military in character, imitating the Asian fortresses that Ramesses III had besieged.

  • In the center we can see the two guard houses (J-J'). The guard's house on the left (J) has two windows, and the one on the right (J') only has one window.
  • On the right side of the photo we can see the western end of the Great Ptolemaic pylon (B) of the Temple of Amun (3).

Crenellated wall (1)
The set of buildings at Medinet Habou is surrounded by a thick wall made of raw brick, dating back to Ramesses III. The vast majority of it persists.

  • This wall is open at the level of the Temple of Amun to make way for several buildings added to this temple from the kingdom of Shabaka until Roman times.
  • This wall, dating from Ramesses III, is duplicated to the south by a crenellated wall (1), also interrupted by the advance of constructions from the Low Period.

Triumphal entrance gate (2)
The two towers were initially 22 m (72 ft) high. The facade wall is built on an embankment. Below, there is a bench on which were colossal statues that have now been destroyed.

  • (a): The right wing represents the sacrifice of captives to the god Harmakhis carried out by King Ramesses III. The captives are personified by the seven leaders of the defeated peoples.
  • (b): Similar scene.
  • (c): Ramesses III leads two daughters of the prisoners to the god Amun. Above, he offers incense and libation to Seth and a goddess.
  • (d): Analogous scene. Above, Ramesses III offers Amun-Ra and Maat a statuette of Amun.
  • (e): Below, Ramesses III offers flowers to Amun and Tefnut. Above, he offers wine to Aten and a goddess.
  • (f): Below, the king offers the Truth to Ptah and Sekhmet. Above, he offers incense and libation to Thoth and Sheshat of Hermopolis.
  • (g): The king is led into the presence of Amun by Montu and Aten.
  • (h): The king is led into the presence of Amun by Mut and receives the crown, while Thoth marks off the years of the reign on the reed rod.

Statues of Sekhmet
The two black granite statues of Sekhmet placed here were found outside the temple.


Chapels of the Divine Adorers (left), Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III (center) and Temple of Amun (right)
After passing through the triumphal gate (2), we find the Chapels of the Divine Adorers (6) on the left, the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III (11) in the center and the Temple of Amun (3) on the right.

  • In the center of the photo, slightly to the right, is the Nectanebo Gate (7).

West side of the Temple of Amun (3)

Chapels of the Divine Adorers (6)
The Chapels of the Divine Adorers are composed of two aediculae (K, L) next to each other. These aediculae contain the funerary chapels of queens and princesses who were Divine Adorers of Amun from the 25th and 26th dynasties.

  • (K): The southernmost chapel (left) is the temple of Amenirdis I, daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma. It consists of a pronaos or courtyard with a portico, whose four columns are now destroyed, and a sanctuary surrounded by a corridor. In the offering panels on the façade we can see Amenirdis I in the presence of Amun and Hathor, and of Amun and Mut, and the princess sitting before the offering table. Inside the pronaos, another Divine Adorer, Shepenupet II, is depicted worshipping Amenirdis I. The corridor is decorated with mythological scenes taken from various rituals, notably the 'Book of the Opening of the Mouth', and scenes containing a list of offerings. The sanctuary has a dome (it is the oldest example of a dome in dressed stones) and is ornamented with scenes where Amenirdis I is depicted receiving offerings.
  • (L): The other aedicule (right) has two entrances on the façade. It consists of a courtyard serving three chapels. The central chapel belongs to Shepenupet II, daughter of Piye, the first Kushite pharaoh. The chapel on the right belongs to Queen Mehytenweskhet (who was not a Divine Adorer) wife of Pharaoh Psamtik I. The chapel on the left belongs to her daughter Nitocris I, daughter of Pharaoh Psamtik I, by his queen Mehytenweskhet. The decoration of the three chapels consists of genealogical inscriptions and scenes of offerings. The texts engraved inside include numerous formulas from the Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts.
  • See more at Divine Adoratrice of Amun - Wikipedia, Amenirdis I - Wikipedia and Shepenupet II - Wikipedia and Mehytenweskhet - Wikipedia and Nitocris I - Wikipedia.

Temple of Amun (left), monumental entrance (center) and chapels of the divine worshipers (right)
In this photo, taken from north to south, we can see the Temple of Amun (3) on the left side, the monumental entrance (2) in the center, and the chapels of the divine adorers (6) on the right side.

  • The inner facade (H) of the monumental entrance (2) shows the king leading captives to the god Amun.
  • On the left side, he takes two girls in chains.
  • On the right side, he grabs the girls by the hair to knock them out.

First pylon (M) of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III (11)
The first pylon (M, M') has a front measuring 63 m (206 ft) wide and 22 m (72 ft) high. The southern massif is only 19 m (62 ft) high.

  • It is decorated with warrior representations, common in similar cases, referring to the victories over the confederated peoples of the Mediterranean (8th year).

Crossing the First Pylon (M)

  • (M): In the southwest massif (left), Ramesses III sacrifices the captives before the god Amun who hands him the sword 'khopesh', while the goddess Wosret, personification of Thebes, holds the bonds of four captives. Other captives are in the hands of Amun. In between is recorded the long speech given to the king by the god, which contains the praise of the sovereign's bravery and victories. Below is the list of the countries conquered.
  • (M'): In the northeastern massif (right), the decoration is similar. Between the grooves of the masts, inscriptions from the 11th year of Ramesses III praise the royal bravery against the invaders. In the list of captives, due to an error, the cartouches contain the names of African populations while the captives representing them are Asians. On the doorpost are written two inscriptions by the priest Pinedjem. The ground is dug with deep tracks due to the passage of the chariots.

First courtyard (N)
The first courtyard (N) measures 34 m (111 ft) long by 32 m (105 ft) wide. It is bordered to the northeast by a gallery formed by seven Osiriac pillars representing King Ramesses III, and to the southwest by a portico of eight columns with bell-shaped capitals: pillars and columns are enclosed between two anta pilasters.

  • The back of the great pylon is also decorated. The door is surrounded by religious motifs and only includes paintings that place the king in the presence of his protective gods.
  • (M): The lower part of the wall of the southwest massif is covered with a military scene. The king, at the head of his mercenary guard (Sherdens and Tehenus), defeats the Libyans. A massacre is witnessed.
  • (M'): The wall of the northeastern massif represents the scene of triumph: the king, on his grand platform in the middle of his court, pompously announces his victory and thus provokes the usual admiring praise in similar cases, while the captives parade, beside whom we can see countless cut-out tongues.
  • The back wall of the right-hand portico is covered with paintings arranged in two registers. Those on the upper register are religious: the king makes offerings to various divinities. Those on the lower register are dedicated to military episodes.
  • The back wall of the left portico was the façade of the royal palace (10). This palace communicated with the temple through three doors and a balcony platform - the 'Window of the Apparition' - raised 2 m (6.5 ft) and opening in the middle of the wall. From the royal palace, a staircase led up to this platform from where the king could follow the processions that took place in the courtyard. The wall is divided into three panels equally decorated with military scenes.
  • On the left, we can see the parade of Ramesses III's infantry. In the center, on each side of the tribune, a scene of the massacre of the captives. On the right, a scene of the treatment and training of the horses, and of fighting, where we can see movements similar to those of judo.

Second pylon (O)
The second pylon (O, O') is only 16 m (52 ft) high.

  • Its facade, which forms the background of the first courtyard (N), is also dedicated to the military feats of Ramesses III.
  • The long 36-line text engraved on the northeast massif (O') is particularly interesting from this point of view.
  • The portal of the second pylon is framed in pink and black granite with scenes of offerings.
  • It is preceded by a ramp over 9 m (30 ft) long that was flanked on each side by a colossal statue.

Second courtyard (P)
The second courtyard measures 38 m (125 ft) by 41 m (135 ft) and has a greater effect than the previous courtyard. It is bordered, on the back of the pylon and at the bottom, by porticos with eight Osiriac pillars each, and on the flanks, by porticos with five columns with closed capitals. Important areas of color can still be seen on the columns, ceilings and bas-reliefs of the four porticoes. The Osiriac pillars (the Osiris are destroyed, except two in the north) and the columns of the porticos are ornamented with pictures representing the king in the presence of various deities.

  • The decoration of the back walls of the porticos forms a double series of representations.
  • The first series starts on the left side as you enter the courtyard, then continues along the side wall to the back porch. It is military at the bottom, and religious at the top. Starting at the door of the pylon:
    • Ramesses in the presence of Amun.
    • Battle against the confederates.
    • Number of hands and sexes cut off.
    • Triumphant return of the king with his troops and his captives that he himself holds with a noose.
    • Offering of the captives. This painting is accompanied by a long text dating from the 5th year and containing praise for the king's bravery.
    • The two religious records reproduce the ceremonies of the Sokar-Osiris festival with the procession and worship of this god's boat.
  • The second series begins on the right side wall, at the end of the courtyard, at the angle of the portico, then returns to the door of the second pylon. It represents, below, the worship and procession of the boat of the Theban triad, and above, the departure of the god Min in six pictures:
    • Departure from the royal palace.
    • Arrival of the king at the sanctuary.
    • Procession of the image of Min preceded by the white bull.
    • Sending birds to the four cardinal points.
    • Sectioning the sheaf of wheat.
    • Offerings to Amun-Min.

Portico at the back of the second courtyard (P)
The portico at the back of the second courtyard (P) is accessed by 16 steps forming a gentle 8.6 m (28.2 ft) ramp flanked by two colossi that have now disappeared.

  • It has the particularity that the row of columns is preceded by another row of papyriform columns.
  • The wall is decorated with scenes of offerings.
  • Above the basement the children of Ramesses III are represented, as in the Ramesseum for the children of Ramesses II.
  • Those who reigned later added their cartridges: they were Ramesses IV, Ramesses VI, Ramesses VII and Ramesses VIII.

Great hypostyle hall (Q)
The great hypostyle hall (Q) is 26.45 m (86.77 ft) wide by 18.95 (62.17 ft) m deep. Of the twenty-four columns that supported the roof, only the bases remain. From this room onwards the temple is very ruined, having been exploited as a quarry.

  • (a): Five rooms, located southwest of the large hypostyle room, were reserved for the Treasury, as is attested by the scenes represented: Ramesses III makes offerings to Amun of precious vessels, of coffers worked with lids in the shape of a king or of sacred animals , precious stones in bags, musical instruments, jewelry in precious metals, pieces of gold, etc.
  • (b): Next door, a chapel (closed with a grille) is consecrated to the deified Ramesses II.
  • (c): On the opposite side, there is the offering chapel.
  • (d): Ptah-Sokar-Osiris chapel.
  • (e): In the northeast angle is the chapel of deified Ramesses III.

Second hypostyle hall (R)
The second hypostyle hall (R) also has a number of chambers.


Second hypostyle hall (R) chambers

  • (f): Royal chapel, in the southwest.
  • (g): Chamber with two columns.
  • (h): Chamber with a volute decorated with astronomical representations.
  • (i): Chamber with representation of the Egyptian Elysian Fields where the king works, on the right wall.
  • (j): Chamber with representation of the seven cows lying down, on the left wall, from the 'Book of the Dead'. This is the chapel of Ramesses III.
  • (k): On the opposite side, a courtyard.
  • (l): Chapel of Ra-Haremakhet.

Third hypostyle hall (S)
The third hypostyle hall (S) gives access to the central sanctuary (T) whose roof was supported by four pillars. Open front and back, it presents the characteristics of a boat rest.

  • It is flanked by chapels of Mut (m) and Khonsu (n), where two groups meet: the king and Thoth, the king and Maat.
  • Most of these chapels have crypts hidden in the thickness of their foundations; in Saitan times, they were used as tombs.
  • As for the terraces, they were of three different levels.

Temple of Amun

Temple of Amun (3) portico (A')
The characteristic of this building, as of all temples of the 18th dynasty, is elegance. It is very small, compared to the monument of Ramesses III, but it is well proportioned and designed on an ingenious plan.

  • This temple dates back to Amenhotep III. It was continued by Thutmose I, then considerably enlarged by his successor Thutmose II.
  • Originally this temple had its own precinct. This was later incorporated into the great temple precinct of Ramesses III.
  • A monumental entrance was built to it, consisting of a large pylon (B) erected by Ptolemy IX Soter II and Ptolemy XIII Neos Dionysos, in front of which Antoninus the Pius built a kind of open-air advanced body (A'), preceded by a courtyard (A).

Temple of Amun (3) seen from the northwest
The Temple of Amun (3) consists of a cella-shaped sanctuary (a) surrounded by an outer gallery (b), supported to the north by six small chambers (c-h).

  • Two side chambers give this complex, preceded by a courtyard (E) and a pylon (D), the shape of a Latin cross. This courtyard (E) is 19 m (62 ft).
  • In front of this courtyard (E), an antebellum was built for the cult of Amun and the eight gods of Hermopolis. Later, Nectanebo I, one of the last pharaohs, completed it in a chapel (C) like the one he built at Philae.

See also

Source

Location

Location: Soleb, Sudan