Medinet Habu
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Migdol
entrance to Medinet Habu |
Medinet Habu (Ancient Egyptian: Tjamet or Djamet Coptic:
Djeme or Djemi) is an archaeological locality situated near
the foot of the Theban Hills on the West Bank of the River Nile
opposite the modern city of Luxor, Egypt. Although other structures
are located within the area, the location is today associated
almost exclusively (and indeed, most synonymously) with the
Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III.
Temple of Amun
Just left of the entrance to the Mortuary Temple
of Ramesses III is the Temple of Amun, (Ancient Egyptian:
Djeser Set) dating to the 18th Dynasty, build by Hatshepsut
and Thutmose III. It has underwent many alterations and modifications
over the years, partially in the 20th, 25th, 26th, 29th and
30th Dynasties and the Greco-Roman period.
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Medinet Habu from the air |
Temple of Ramesses III
The temple, some 150m long, is of orthodox design,
and resembles closely the mortuary temple of Ramesses II (the
Ramesseum). It is quite well preserved and surrounded by a massive
mudbrick enclosure, which may have been fortified. The original
entrance is through a fortified gate-house, known as a migdol
(and resembled an Asiatic fortress).
Just inside the enclosure, to the south, are chapels
of Amenirdis I, Shepenupet II and Nitiqret, all of whom had
the title of Divine Adoratrice of Amun.
The first pylon leads into an open courtyard, lined
with colossal statues of Ramesses III as Osiris on one side,
and uncarved columns on the other. The second pylon leads into
a peristyle hall, again featuring columns of Ramses III. This
leads up a ramp that leads (through a columned portico) to the
third pylon and then into the large hypostyle hall (which has
lost its roof).
In Coptic times, 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 coptic carvings.
Temple of Ay & Horemheb
Located just north of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses
III, right up to the mud-brick wall that surrounds it, lay
the badly preserved Temple of Ay & Horemheb.
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