Medinet Habu (; ; ; ) is an archaeological locality situated near the foot of the
Theban Hills on the
West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
of the
River Nile
The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the longest river i ...
opposite the modern city of
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt. Luxor had a population of 263,109 in 2020, with an area of approximately and is the capital of the Luxor Governorate. It is among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited c ...
, Egypt. Although other structures are located within the area and important discoveries have also been made at these sites, the location is today associated almost synonymously with the largest and best preserved site, the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. It was an important
New Kingdom period temple structure in the
West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
of
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt. Luxor had a population of 263,109 in 2020, with an area of approximately and is the capital of the Luxor Governorate. It is among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited c ...
in
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. Aside from its size and architectural and artistic importance, the
mortuary 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
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt, Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC, and he is considered the last pharaoh of the New K ...
(c. 1186–1155 BC), including the
Battle of the Delta. Some of the building
materials were re-used from earlier monuments including the destroyed mortuary temple of
Tausret (c. 1191–1189 BC) the last known ruler and the final
pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
of the
Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt
The Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XIX), also known as the Ramessid dynasty, is classified as the second Dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom of Egypt, New Kingdom period, lasting from 1292 BC to 1189 BC. The 19th Dynasty an ...
. The Greco-Roman period temple to Isis,
Deir el-Shelwit, lies
4 kilometers to the south and re-used inscribed blocks from Medinet Habu were found there.
The site of these temples included an inhabited human settlement since pharaonic times, which continued until the 9th century, by which time it was a
Coptic center called Jeme. The last remnants of the former town were cleared during the excavations at the end of the 19th century.
[An Archaeological Atlas of Coptic Literature - Medinet Habu]
/ref>
Located adjacent to Medinet Habu, north of the outer wall, lies the poorly preserved memorial Temple of Ay (c. 1323–1319 BC) and Horemheb
Horemheb, also spelled Horemhab, Haremheb or Haremhab (, meaning "Horus is in Jubilation"), was the last pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, 18th Dynasty of Egypt (1550–1292 BC). He ruled for at least 14 years between 1319  ...
(c. 1300 BC). The temple was originally built by Ay and later usurped by Horemheb who removed all inscriptions and images of Ay. Just to the northwest of Medinet Habu the Oriental Institute excavated a large late Roman period
cemetery. Most of the graves had been plundered but a number of artifacts, including 66 mummy tags inscribed
in Greek were recovered.
Etymology
The origins of the name Medinet Habu are unknown. The earliest attestations are the ones of European cartographers of the 17th–18th centuries who mention it as ''"Habu"'', ''"Medineh el Habou"'' and ''"Medinet Habu"'', with variants ''"Medinet Abu"'' and ''"Medinet Tabu"''.
The proposed etymologies include derivation from Coptic name for Luxor () or from a name of high official of the 18th dynasty who was later deified known as Amenhotep, son of Hapu, (), but neither of them is considered plausible, as they do not explain the final long ''-u''. The folk etymology attributes the name to a mythical king named Habu.[Carsten Peust, "Die Toponyme vorarabischen Ursprungs im modernen Ägypten", 2010]
The old Arabic name of the place, ''Gabal Shama'', () comes from ''Djami'' (), which in turn is derived from Ancient Egyptian ḏꜣmwt, of unclear etymology. The Bohairic Coptic form ''Tchami'' () comes from Demotic Tḏmꜣʾ, which is preceded by a feminine article, as also seen in Sahidic . Whether Thebes () should be a phonetic rendering of the Egyptian name is disputed.
In Greek the area was known as ''Memnonia'' () or ''Kastron Memnonionos'' () and was associated with Memnon. This name survives in Colossi of Memnon.
Archaeology
The first European to describe the temple in modern literature was Vivant Denon, who visited it in 1799–1801. Jean-François Champollion spent a fortnight and a half at the site, as (Médinet-Habou), in 1829
as part of the Franco-Tuscan Expedition. John Gardner Wilkinson during 12 years in Egypt recording inscriptions and paintings spent a long period at Thebes. A Prussian expedition led by Karl Richard Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius (; 23 December 181010 July 1884) was a German people, Prussian Egyptology, Egyptologist, Linguistics, linguist and modern archaeology, modern archaeologist.
He is widely known for his opus magnum ''Denkmäler aus Ägypten ...
worked in Thebes, mainly at Medinet Habu, from November 1844 until April 1845.
Work, under the direction of Georges Daressy, Marius Bonnefoy, and Charles Gabet, on the temple took place sporadically between 1859 and 1899, under the auspices of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities to prepare it for tourism. During these decades the main temple was cleared, and a large number of the Greco-Roman
The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...
period buildings, including a substantial Byzantine Church in the second court, were destroyed without notes or records being taken.
Theodore M. Davis excavated at Medinet Habu in 1913 focusing primarily on the "Palace" of Rameses III along the southern side of the mortuary temple.
The further excavation, recording and conservation of the temple has been facilitated in chief part by the Architectural and Epigraphic Surveys of the University of Chicago Oriental Institute
The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa (ISAC), formerly known as the Oriental Institute, is the University of Chicago's interdisciplinary research center for ancient Near Eastern studies and archaeology museum. ...
, almost continuously since 1924. The Architectural Survey, led by Uvo Hölscher, worked for five seasons until 1932. At the
start the complex was "covered for the most part with mounds of rubbish ranging in height from 3 to 6 meters, the remains of houses from the former Coptic town of Habu". The Epigraphic Survey continues to the present day.
Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III
The temple, some 150 meters long, is of orthodox design, and closely resembles the nearby mortuary temple of Ramesses II
Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...
(the Ramesseum). The full formal name of the temple was "The Temple of Usermare-Meriamon (called) 'United-with-Eternity' in the estate of Amon on the West of Thebes".[Nelson, Harold H., "The Identity of Amon-Re of United-with-Eternity", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 127–55, 1942] Many of the inscriptions and scenes are in similar locations and in some cases largely copied. The temple precinct measures approximately . by and contains more than of decorated wall reliefs. The temple contains 48 rooms of which 8 constitute the
Mortuary Suite of Rameses III. The reliefs in the Mortuary Suite were devoted to the funerary process
of Rameses III as Osiride king. The remaining rooms contain reliefs showing the various acts of
the living pharaoh. Its walls are relatively well preserved and it is surrounded by a massive mudbrick inner enclosure wall. A radiocarbon sample from the wall
yielded a date of 1050-1020 ± 50BC.
Fishman, Bernard, Hamish Forbes, and Barbara Lawn, "University of Pennsylvania radiocarbon dates XIX", Radiocarbon 19.2, pp. 188-228, 1977
The area between the temple and inner wall originally held numerous temple outbuildings now mostly lost.
The entire south wall is inscribed with a liturgical calendar containing 1470
lines of hieroglyphs. The Ramesseum of Ramesses II was used as a source for
much of the text though that exemplar is now much damaged. The text is mainly
lists of offerings to be prepared for daily, monthly, and annual feasts. Those
dates are in the civil calendar (vs one of the two Egyptian religious calendars).
An excerpt from Ramesses Ill's Address to Amon-Re:
The first Pylon (architecture), pylon leads into an open courtyard, lined with colossal statues of Ramesses III
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt, Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC, and he is considered the last pharaoh of the New K ...
as Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
on one side, and uncarved columns on the other. The second pylon leads into a peristyle hall, again featuring columns in the shape of Ramesses. The third pylon is reached by continuing up a ramp that leads through a columned portico and then opens into a large hypostyle
In architecture, a hypostyle () hall has a roof which is supported by columns.
Etymology
The term ''hypostyle'' comes from the ancient Greek ὑπόστυλος ''hypóstȳlos'' meaning "under columns" (where ὑπό ''hypó'' means below or und ...
hall (which has lost its roof). Reliefs and actual heads of foreign captives were also found placed within the temple, perhaps in an attempt to symbolise the king's control over Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and Nubia
Nubia (, Nobiin language, Nobiin: , ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue Nile, Blue and White Nile, White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the Cataracts of the Nile, first cataract ...
.
In the Greco-Roman and Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
period, there was a church inside the temple structure, which has since been removed. Some of the carvings in the main wall of the temple have been altered by Christian carvings.
[Wilber, Donald N., "The Coptic Frescoes of Saint Menas at Medinet Habu", The Art Bulletin 22.2, pp. 86-103, 1940]
Ten tombs from the 6th to 8th century BC were found in the inner sanctum of the mortuary temple. Three
could be identified including Nesterwy, daughter of 23rd dynasty pharaoh Rudamun,
described as a "Songstress in the House of Amen".
Military reliefs
The western and northern walls of the mortuary temple contain a number of reliefs detailing the military activities of Rameses III including his conflicts with the Nubians and Libyans.
The combat scenes are accompanied by those showing preparations, for battle and distribution
of weapons, divine intervention, returning victorious from battle, lion hunt, and the presenting of booty to the gods. These mostly follow the standard pharonic formula.
On the north wall are a series of 13 scenes which are viewed as a single military campaign beginning with the Libyans and ending with the "sea peoples". In one relief Rameses III and his troops rain arrows down on opponents in ships. In another he leads his troops in the destruction of feather helmeted opponents who are accompanied by
women and children in oxcarts. Over a century ago Gaston Maspero proposed that these two panels represented the invasion of Egypt by purported "sea peoples" from Anatolia, a narrative which has now entered common public usage.
Topographical lists
Two topographical lists, each toponym in a oval name-shield, are engraved on the front pylon of
the mortuary temple with some topynyms now damaged. The identity of many localities is
either unknown or is disputed. A number were copied from the much damaged topographical
list of Rameses II at Karnak. There are 125 mostly Levantine entrees on the south tower of the pylon with the
initial 6 being African. The northern tower
held a list of mostly African localities, primarily in Nubia. Both lists are topped by a scene of Rameses III smiting kneeling enemies. Another topographical list was inscribed by Rameses IV on the walls of the rear terrace, in
the form of scenes showing the pharaoh making offering to the local deity of the
locality. They are much damaged by time and later construction though some
remain legible.
Medinet Habu king list
The memorial temple of Ramesses III
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt, Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC, and he is considered the last pharaoh of the New K ...
(Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III) at Medinet Habu contains a minor list of pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt
The New Kingdom, also called the Egyptian Empire, refers to ancient Egypt between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC. This period of History of ancient Egypt, ancient Egyptian history covers the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth, ...
. The inscriptions closely resemble the Ramesseum king list, which is a similar scene of Ramesses II
Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...
, which was used as a template for the scenes here.
The scene shows Ramesses III participating in the ceremonies of the Festival of Min where statues of ancestral kings are carried in an elaborate procession to make offerings to Min. It contains 16 cartouches with the names of nine pharaohs divided into two parts.
The sparse outline of the scene was published by Vivant Denon in 1802, who was part of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's expedition to Egypt in 1798 to 1801, which published a slightly more detailed scene in 1809.
Thirty years later, the complete scene including the cartouches of the kings was published by John Gardner Wilkinson in 1837,[John Gardner Wilkinson, "Manners and customs of the ancient Egyptians, including their private life, government, laws, art, manufactures, religions, and early history", plate 76, London, 1837] followed by Champollion and Lepsius.
Carl Richard Lepsius, "Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien nach den zeichnungen der von Seiner Majestaet dem koenige von Preussen Friedrich Wilhelm IV", III, Berlin, 1849 All the 19th-century editions contain omissions and errors, but in 1940 the Epigraphic Survey published the definitive (and complete) rendering of the scenes.
The scene is divided in two parts, on the left side, 7 statues of ancestors are being carried in a procession. The right side is led by nine kings.
It remains ''in situ
is a Latin phrase meaning 'in place' or 'on site', derived from ' ('in') and ' ( ablative of ''situs'', ). The term typically refers to the examination or occurrence of a process within its original context, without relocation. The term is use ...
'' on the eastern second pylon in the second court, in the upper register on the eastern wall. It's also seen by some as an addition to the Abydos King List
The Abydos King List, also known as the Abydos Table or the Abydos Tablet, is a list of the names of 76 kings of ancient Egypt, found on a wall of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of 38 cartouches (borders enclos ...
, as the Medinet Habu list contains some Rammasside pharaohs who reigned after the Abydos list was made.
Procession of Princes
On both sides of the doorway on the west wall of the temple portico there are long processions of royal sons. This reflects an earlier similar relief of Rameses II at Luxor showing a procession of princes at the fest of Opet. The 1st three sons are dressed in flowing robes while the rest are more simply dressed. Originally the figures had no inscriptions, with only deeply cut cartouches of Rameses III between them. A shorter procession of royal daughters, unidentified, are on the south wall.
At a later date names and titles were inscribed for ten of the sons. When the new inscriptions were added and their implications are have been long debated. It is generally assumed they were added by Ramesses IV and/or Ramesses V but this is uncertain. At a later date the fourth figure was further
modified by Ramesses VIII for reason that are uncertain. Different identities have been applied to some of the figures including Khaemwaset, Meryatum II, Montuherkhopshef, Meryamun, Pareherwenemef, and Amun-her-khepeshef.
Outer court of Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III
The Mortuary Temple grounds are enclosed by a 315 meter by 210 meter mudbrick temenos wall, rising 18 meters high and 10 meters in thickness. It encompassed 66 square kilometers.[das Candeias Sales, José, "The smiting of the enemies scenes in the mortuary temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu", Journal of Oriental and Ancient History 1, pp. pp. 75-116, 2012] The wall contain fortified gates in the eastern and western walls. The enclosed grounds hold a few minor archaeological sites. The outer court originally included a large garden with a 20 meter by 18 meter sacred pool, described in the
Papyrus Harris I of Ramesses III.
Palace of Ramesses III
The area to the south of the mortuary temple, between the pylons, was occupied by the mudbrick palace
of Ramesses III
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt, Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC, and he is considered the last pharaoh of the New K ...
. It would have been used by the king only on religious festival
occasions at which he presided over and to act as his "Mansion of Millions of Years" after his death.
It had two construction phases. The first phase was a near copy of the earlier Ramesseum palace of Ramesses II
Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...
. It had two areas, a main throne room complex and
a hallway with a series of 6 small two room apartments. The throne complex was entered via a stairway
leading into an antechamber with 16 columns (window of appearances). The antechamber led into
a 4 column audience hall with throne dais. The second construction phase used a much
more elaborate and larger plan and added a second story. It now filled the entire space
between the inner enclosure walls and the small apartments were turned into
3 large units, with bathrooms. The palace was much damaged by the 1913 excavation but the
ground plan of the 2nd temple has been restored for visitors to see.
William J. Murnane, "United with Eternity – A Concise Guide to the Monuments of Medinet Habu", Oriental Institute, University of Chicago and the American University of Cairo Press, 1980
Small Temple
Just right of the entrance to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III is the Small Temple. Excavations
found early remains dating back to at least the early New Kingdom and possibly the Middle Kingdom ( Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt, 11th Dynasty). Originally it was dedicated the Ogdoad a group of eight Egyptian gods which were closely associated with Amun
Amun was a major ancient Egyptian deity who appears as a member of the Hermopolitan Ogdoad. Amun was attested from the Old Kingdom together with his wife Amunet. His oracle in Siwa Oasis, located in Western Egypt near the Libyan Desert, r ...
. The 18th Dynasty ruler Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut ( ; BC) was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Egypt, ruling first as regent, then as queen regnant from until (Low Chronology) and the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II. She was Egypt's second c ...
(c. 1479 – 1458 BC) reported that the temple was "a sacred place, which the kings of Lower Egypt have elected" and her co-ruler Thutmose III
Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, (1479–1425 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. He is regarded as one of the greatest warriors, military commanders, and milita ...
(c. 1479-1425 BC) left an inscription there that "he found (it) ruined". Hatshepsut began work restoring the temple but
died after completing part of the sanctuary. The work was completed by Thutmose III (who also excised all mentions of Hatshepsut in the temple). The sanctuary consists of six rooms, with one room containing large statues of Amun and Thutmose III. In later periods major additions to this were constructed.
In his construction at Medinet Habu, Rameses III was careful to respect the older temple.
The 11th Dynasty elevated Amun to a major god and the temple became largely associated with him. It has undergone many alterations and modifications over the years, partially in the 20th, 25th, 26th, 29th and 30th dynasties and the Greco-Roman
The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...
period. A long inscription was added by Pinedjem I (c. 1070-1055 BC) High Priest of Amun at Thebes.
Saite Chapels
In the northeast corner of the outer court four combined mausoleums and mortuary shrines were built
between the 8th and 6th centuries BC to the God's Wife of Amun ( Divine Votaresses) in the area of the former pool of Ramses III of which two are still extant. The chapels were of
Shepenwepet I, Amenardis I, Shepenwepet II, and Ankhnesneferibré. The
chapel of Shepenwepet II was modified to also hold a later adortrice, Nitocris I, daughter of pharaoh Psamtik I
Wahibre Psamtik I (Ancient Egyptian: ) was the first pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt, the Saite period, ruling from the city of Sais in the Nile delta between 664 and 610 BC. He was installed by Ashurbanipal of the Neo-Assyrian E ...
(664–610 BC). The chapels were constructed mainly of Nubian siliceous sandstone from the quary at Gebel el-Silsila.
Tomb of Harsiese
The tomb of Harsiese (c. 880–860 BC), Third Intermediate Period ruler of Thebes, was found in 1932. The superstructure was lost in antiquity (though a re-used inscribed block was later found) but the substructure remained. The substructure had an "inclined entrance passage with steps cut in the floor, an antechamber, and a burial chamber". It was located "just outside the enclosure wall of the small temple of Amun called 'Holiest of Places'".
House of Butehamon
The remains of the residence of Butehamon (c. 1070 BC) were found in the outer court near the Western Fortified Gate of the mortuary temple. He was the son of Dhutmose and a royal scribe and overseer of the royal treasury in the Theban Necropolis in the 20th dynasty and into 21st dynasty, when the residence would have been built based on papyrus texts. Of the two surviving main rooms, one was square with a stone dais and four stuccoed sandstone columns with palm-leaf capitals. The columns had "inscriptions and scenes in which Amun-Re and the deified kings Amunhotep I and Ahmose-Nefretere are worshiped as the protecting deities of the Necropolis".
Radiocarbon dating of a palm wood charcoal sample yielded the anomalous date of 1510 ± 40BC.
Coptic settlement
The Coptic settlement at Medinet Habu was established as the final stage of a continuous process of occupation of the mortuary complex of Ramses III, which began in pharaonic times and continued into the Roman and Late Antique period. The settlement was a densely populated town with an estimated population of 18,860 residents, which was installed in various inner sectors, including the temple itself. The settlement pattern matched that of the Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
and Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt. Luxor had a population of 263,109 in 2020, with an area of approximately and is the capital of the Luxor Governorate. It is among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited c ...
temples, with large blocks of houses separated by narrow streets and religious buildings as important focal points of the urban texture.[Wilfong, Terry G., "Women of Jeme: lives in a Coptic town in late antique Egypt", Vol. 2. University of Michigan Press, 2002]
Several churches were built in different sectors of the mortuary temple, including the great five-aisled basilica known as the "Holy Church of Djeme", which was located in the second court of Ramses III's temple. The church had a north–south orientation cutting across the original axis of the temple and was provided with a font and a well, placed at the southern end of the central nave. The church was dated between the 5th and the 7th century by Monneret de Villard, while Grossmann suggested an attribution to the middle or second half of the 6th century.
Before the clearing of the temple at the end of the 19th century, much of the Coptic town was still visible as it was left after its abandonment in the 9th century. The settlement's religious buildings, including the Holy Church of Djeme, were damaged over time, with one of the Ramesside columns on the east side removed to accommodate the apse and the Osiris pillars cut away since they were inappropriate in a Christian building. Sparse graffiti and damage are all that remain after the removal of the church in modern times.
Gallery
File:Medinet Habu temple inscriptions Breasted.jpeg, Sketch of the inscriptions on the northeast wall at the temple, by James Henry Breasted
File:SFEC-MEDHABU-MIGDOL-2009.jpg, Migdol entrance to Medinet Habu from the south-east
File:SFEC-MEDINETHABU-2009-11-14-0098.JPG, Ceiling decoration in the peristyle hall
File:Wilhelm Gentz - Snake Charmer.jpg, 1872 orientalist painting by Wilhelm Gentz, set in the peristyle court
File:Thebes, Medinet Habu, Egypt, Temple of Ramesses III, Columns.jpg, Ramessid columns in the peristyle court (first courtyard)
File:Thebes, Medinet Habu, Egypt, Temple of Ramesses III, Ancient Egypt, Guards.jpg, First courtyard and second pylon from inside
File:2nd_Courtyard_Medinet_Habu_R01.jpg, Second courtyard and the facade of the peristyle hall
File:Medinet Habu migdol6.JPG, Fortified entrance gate seen from the north
File:Thebes, Medinet Habu, Egypt, Temple of Ramesses III, Columns 2.jpg, Columns in the First Courtyard
File:Thebes, Medinet Habu, Egypt, Temple of Ramesses III, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Ancient Egypt.jpg, Reliefs, Egyptian hieroglyphs art
File:PalaceInlays-NubiansPhilistineAmoriteSyrianAndHittite-Compilation-MuseumOfFineArtsBoston.png, Ramesses III prisoner tiles: Glass and faience inlays from Rameses III palace
File:S03 06 01 018 image 2404.jpg, Egypt - Medinet Habu, Thebes. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection
File:S03 06 01 018 image 2384.jpg, Egypt - Pavilion of Rameses III, Thebes. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection
File:Medinet Habu TempleCeiling.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple Ceiling
File:Medinet Habu Temple Ceiling.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple Ceiling
File:Medinet Habu Temple, Piles of Hands.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple, Piles of Hands. An accounting method of determining how many killed in battle
File:Medinet Habu Temple, Piles of Genitals.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple, Piles of Genitals. An accounting method of determining how many killed in battle
File:Medinet Habu Temple Column Detail.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple Column Detail
File:Medinet Habu Temple Column Detail3.jpg, Column Detail from the grand hypostyle hall
File:Medinet Habu Temple Column Detail2.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple Column Detail
File:Medinet-Temple-Column-Detail4.jpg, Medinet Habu Temple, Column Detail
File:Habu Temple ceiling.JPG, Habu Temple Scene. Note the colors.
File:Habu Temple Hall.JPG, Foor details, first hypostyle Hall.
File:Milwaukee Public Museum November 2022 163 (Crossroads of Civilization--Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu).jpg, Scale model at the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin (formerly known as Milwaukee Public Museum) is a natural and human history museum in the Westown neighborhood of Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public ...
File:Thebes, Medinet Habu, Egypt.jpg, Medinet Habu grounds
File:Habu Temple Exchange.JPG, Habu Temple Scene. Note the God gives Pharaoh an Ankh, life.
File:Thebes, Medinet Habu, Egypt, Temple of Ramesses III, Entrance.jpg, Temple entrance
File:The Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III.jpg, The Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III
Image:Egypt.MedinetHabu.01.jpg, First Pylon of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III
Image:Egypt.MedinetHabu.02.jpg, Ceiling decoration in the peristyle
In ancient Ancient Greek architecture, Greek and Ancient Roman architecture, Roman architecture, a peristyle (; ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. ''Tetrastoön'' () is a rare ...
hall
See also
*
* Colossal statue of Amenhotep III and Tiye
* Karnak King List
* Meryatum II
* Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III
References
Further reading
Delpeut, Lonneke, and Frederik Rogner, "The king himself training his horses: two new perspectives on an unusual scene in Ramesses Ill’s temple at Medinet Habu", Göttinger Miscellen 268, pp. 49–65, 2022
*Di Cerbo, Christina and Jasnow, Richard, "Building Dipinti at Medinet Habu (With an Appendix on Remains of Color Decoration in the Palace)", En détail – Philologie und Archäologie im Diskurs: Festschrift für Hans-W. Fischer-Elfert, edited by Marc Brose, Peter Dils, Franziska Naether, Lutz Popko and Dietrich Raue, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 239–260, 2019
*Dodson, Aidan", "Rameses III, king of Egypt: his life and afterlife", American University in Cairo Press, 2019
*Edgerton, William F., "Preliminary Report on the Ancient Graffiti at Medinet Habu", The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 116–27, 1934
*James, Peter, "The Levantine War-records of Ramesses III: changing attitudes, past, present and future", Antiguo Oriente 15, pp. 57-147, 2017
Kenneth A. Kitchen, "Ramesside Inscriptions", Vol V, pp. 205:12-13; 209:11-12, Oxford, 1983
*Monderson, Frederick, "Medinet Habu: Mortuary Temple of Ramses III", AuthorHouse, 2009
*Nelson, Harold H., "The naval battle pictured at Medinet Habu", Journal of Near Eastern Studies 2.1, pp. 40–55, 1943
*Nelson, Harold H., "Certain Reliefs at Karnak and Medinet Habu and the Ritual of Amenophis I", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 201–32, 1949
*Nelson, Harold H., "Certain Reliefs at Karnak and Medinet Habu and the Ritual of Amenophis I-(Concluded)", Journal of Near Eastern Studies 8.4, pp. 310-345, 1949
*Teeter, Emily, "Amunhotep son of Hapu at Medinet Habu", The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 81.1, pp. 232–236, 1995
*H. J. Thissen, "Die demotischen Graffiti von Medinet Habu: Zeugnisse zu Tempel und Kult im Ptolemäischen Ägypten", Demotische Studien 10; Sommerhausen, 1989
*Vleeming, S.P., "Plan of Medinet Habu", in Hundred-Gated Thebes, Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 224, 1995
*Wilson, John A., "Ancient text corrections in Medinet Habu", Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 48–56, 1932
Archaeological reports
Uvo Hölscher, with Foreword by J. H. Breasted, "The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 1: General Plans and Views", Oriental Institiute Publications 21, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1934
Siegfried Schott Translated By Elizabeth B. Hauser, "Wall Scenes from the Mortuary Chapel of the Mayor Paser at Medinet Habu", Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 30, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1957
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Volume I. Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III", Oriental Institute Publications 8, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1930
Uvo Hölscher, "Excavations at Ancient Thebes, 1930/31", Oriental Institute Communications 15, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1932
Harold H. Nelson and Uvo Hölscher, with a chapter by Siegfried Schott, "Work in Western Thebes, 1931–33", Oriental Institute Communications 18, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Volume II. The Later Historical Records of Ramses III", Oriental Institute Publications 9, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1932
William F. Edgerton and John A. Wilson, "Historical Records of Ramses III: The Texts in Medinet Habu Volumes 1 and 2 Translated With Explanatory", Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 12, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1936
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Volume III. The Calendar, the “Slaughterhouse,” and Minor Records of Ramses III", Oriental Institute Publications 23, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1934
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Volume 4. Festival Scenes of Ramses III", Oriental Institute Publications 51, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1940
Elizabeth Stefanski and Miriam Lichtheim, "Coptic Ostraca from Medinet Habu", Oriental Institute Publications 71, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1952
Uvo Hölscher, "The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 2: The Temples of the Eighteenth Dynasty", Oriental Institute Publications 41, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1939
Uvo Hölscher, "The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 3, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III, Part 1", Oriental Institute Publications 54, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1941
Uvo Hölscher, "The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume IV, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III, part 2", Oriental Institute Publications, Volume 55, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Volume V. The Temple Proper, Part I: The Portico, the Treasury, and Chapels Adjoining the First Hypostyle Hall with Marginal Material from the Forecourts", Oriental Institute Publications 83, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1957
Uvo Hölscher, "Post-Ramessid Remains: The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 5", Oriental Institute Publications 66, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1954
Miriam Lichtheim, "Demotic Ostraca from Medinet Habu", Oriental Institute Publications 80, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1957
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Volume VI. The Temple Proper, Part II: The Re Chapel, the Royal Mortuary Complex, and Adjacent Rooms with Miscellaneous Material from the Pylons, the Forecourts, and the First Hypostyle Hall",Oriental Institute Publications 84, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1963
"Medinet Habu, Vol. VII: The Temple Proper, Pt. III: The Third Hypostyle Hall and All Rooms Accessible from It with Friezes of Scenes from the Roof Terraces and Exterior Walls of the Temple The Epigraphic Survey", Oriental Institute Publications 93, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1964
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu, Vol. VIII: The Eastern High Gate with Translations of Texts The Epigraphic Survey", Oriental Institute Publications 94, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1970
W. F. Edgerton, "Medinet Habu Graffiti: Facsimiles", Oriental Institute Publications 36, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1937
Uvo Hölscher, "Medinet Habu 1924–28 Part 1: The Epigraphic Survey of the Great Temple of Medinet Habu (Seasons 1924–25 to 1927–28) Harold H. Nelson Part 2: The Architectural Survey of the Great Temple and Palace of Medinet Habu (Season 1927–28)", Oriental Institute Communications 5, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1929
John A. Wilson, "Medinet Habu Studies 1928/29 Part 1. The Architectural Survey Uvo Hölscher Part 2. The Language of the Historical Texts Commemorating Ramses III", Oriental Institute Communications 7, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1930
Uvo Hölscher, "Medinet Habu Reports Part 1. The Epigraphic Survey, 1928–31 Harold H. Nelson Part 2. The Architectural Survey, 1929/30", Oriental Institute Communications 10, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1931
Emily Teeter, "Scarabs, Scaraboids, Seals, and Seal Impressions from Medinet Habu", Oriental Institute Publications 118, Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 2003
Emily Teeter, "Baked Clay Figurines and Votive Beds from Medinet Habu", Oriental Institute Publications 133, Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 2010
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu IX. The Eighteenth Dynasty Temple, Part I: The Inner Sanctuaries", Oriental Institute Publications 136, Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 2009
The Epigraphic Survey, "Medinet Habu X. The Eighteenth Dynasty Temple, Part II: The Façade, Pillars, and Architrave Inscriptions of the Thutmosid Peripteros", ISAC Publications 1, Chicago: Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, 2024 Plates
External links
The Epigraphic Survey at 93: Changing the Face of Archaeology - W Raymond Johnson - 2018
OI Armchair Travelers Luxor, City of Amun - 2021
OI Ancient Languages Workshop , Session 1: Ancient Egypt - 2020
John Beasly Greene, "Photo of corner of 2nd temple inscription - Medinet-Habu", 1854
Historic Medinet Habu photographs - Library of Congress
The Epigraphic Survey - The Oriental Institute, University of Chicago
A Foreign Captive at Medinet Habu - McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture
Christianization of the ancient temples
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medinet Habu (Location)
Theban Necropolis
Ramesses III
Buildings and structures in Luxor
Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century BC
Colossal statues in Egypt
Egyptian temples
12th-century BC establishments in Egypt
Former churches in Egypt
12th-century BC inscriptions
1802 archaeological discoveries
Ancient Egyptian King lists