Pompey’s Pillar is one of the most famous glories of Alexandria. It has been estimated that this pillar was in the middle of a portico containing some 400 columns. The Arabs called it “Amoud el-Sawari”, Column of the Horsemen. The Pillar is the . . . — — Map (db m59921) HM
The Great Temple of Abu Simbel is situated near Egypt's southern border in Nubia, and is among our most awe-inspiring monuments. It was built by King Rameses II 'the Beloved of Amun' during the 19th Dynasty (c. 1279-1213 BC) to project the . . . — — Map (db m289503) HM
An operation to salvage the monuments in Nubia in the 1960s remains the largest campaign undertaken to save cultural heritage. This great feat of engineering was achieved through the solidarity of the international community, led by UNESCO, upon . . . — — Map (db m289511) HM
King Rameses II (c. 1279-1213 BC) built the Small Temple of Abu Simbel in honour of his wife Nefertari and Hathor, the goddess of motherhood, love, fertility and music. The façade of this rock-cut temple is decorated with sixteen-metre-high colossal . . . — — Map (db m289507) HM
Different theories explain the massive engineering task of how obelisks were quarried, transported, and erected in sites throughout Egypt. The Unfinished Obelisk has revealed much on how this massive obelisk was made and the skill it took to extract . . . — — Map (db m289518) HM
The ancient Egyptians made use of a wide variety of stones including limestone, sandstone, and, of course, granite. Stone is a durable material, so the ancient Egyptians used it for a wide variety of purposes, either in construction or through . . . — — Map (db m289516) HM
Obelisks are iconic ancient Egyptian architecture and proof of the ancient Egyptians' mastery of engineering. These monuments usually stood in towering pairs in front of the entrances to temples.
The obelisk - tekhen in the ancient Egyptian . . . — — Map (db m289512) HM
A standard feature of major Graeco-Roman Period temples, the birth house (mammisi in Coptic) was usually a small separate temple located in front of and at right angles with the main temple. Rituals were performed for the child of the main deity of . . . — — Map (db m288881) HM
Edfu Temple is one of the most striking and complete of ancient Egyptian temples and is dedicated to the worship of the god Horus. Situated on the western bank of the Nile, its construction began during the reign of Ptolemy III in 237 BC, but was . . . — — Map (db m288882) HM
English Translation:
The temple begins with a high façade called the pylon, which consists of two towers with the main gate between them. The height of each tower is about 34 meters, and its width is 68 meters. The gate was secured . . . — — Map (db m289482) HM
(Arabic not transcribed)
Royal Stelae
Three royal stelae are located on a high rock facing east, toward the river Nile. The most northerly stela, dedicated by King Rameses V (c. 1147-1143 BC), is decorated with a scene showing . . . — — Map (db m310872) HM
The birth house ('mammisi' in Coptic), was a standard feature of Graeco-Roman temples. This is where the birth of the child of the main deity of the temple was celebrated, and where the rituals surrounding their cults were conducted. As here, birth . . . — — Map (db m288928) HM
The Roman Period (30 BC-395 AD) chapel lies to the south of the forecourt, near the gate of Ptolemy XII. It is dedicated to Hathor, who can be seen at the top left of the chapel's doorway. Hathor was the goddess of motherhood, fertility, love, and . . . — — Map (db m288893) HM
Temples were generally accessible only to the priesthood. To allow regular people to pray to its main god(s), a temple could have what is called a 'chapel of the hearing ear’. As here in Kom Ombo, these chapels were located in the centre of the back . . . — — Map (db m288927) HM
To please the gods, it was crucial for all rituals to be observed on time. Many temples therefore contain lists of festivals and other cultic activity, accompanied by their dates and the rituals that had to be undertaken. Several such festival . . . — — Map (db m288923) HM
This monumental gate leading into the temple grounds was built by Ptolemy XII (80-51 BC), the father of the famous Cleopatra VII. Its west wing, like the front part of the temple forecourt, has been eroded away by the Nile. As for the eastern wing . . . — — Map (db m288886) HM
The core of the temple was built by King Ptolemy VI, in the 2nd century BC. Beyond the inner hypostyle hall are three vestibules, where offerings were likely presented. Each has two doorways, one for each of the temple's two gods.
The ceiling . . . — — Map (db m288921) HM
The inner hypostyle hall was built by Ptolemy VIII in the 2nd century BC. It has two entrances, the northern for Harwer, and the southern for Sobek. Between them is a hymn dedicated to Sobek-Ra, the form of Sobek merged with the sun god, depicted . . . — — Map (db m288912) HM
Kom Ombo gets its name from Arabic kum 'mound' and 'Ombo, which ultimately derives from the ancient Egyptian name of the city Nubt 'the Golden (City)'. The city's temple is dedicated to two deities: the crocodile god Sobek, and the falcon god Harwer . . . — — Map (db m288885) HM
An ancient Egyptian temple's hypostyle hall is where its inner, more sacred, area begins. Although most of the roof and side walls of this hall are now missing, this was once intended to be a dimly lit room, whose only light came in from narrow gaps . . . — — Map (db m288910) HM
Behind the entrance pylon, the typical major ancient Egyptian temple generally had an open-air courtyard fronting its inner halls, its central open-air area surrounded by columns. The base of a square altar lies in the centre of the forecourt. The . . . — — Map (db m288905) HM
This unique scene was most likely carved between the reigns of Roman Emperors Antoninus Pius and Macrinus (138-218 AD). The depicted medical and surgical instruments include scalpels, saws, hooks, forceps, scales, a sponge, and various vessels. . . . — — Map (db m288924) HM
This unique scene was most likely carved between the reigns of Roman Emperors Antoninus Pius and Macrinus (138-218 AD). The depicted medical and surgical instruments include scalpels, saws, hooks, forceps, scales, a sponge, and various vessels. . . . — — Map (db m288925) HM
French:
Le temple d’Ombos a été dégagé et réparé par le Service des Antiquités de l’Égypte, du XV janvier au XXV avril MDCCCXCI.
English Translation:
Temple of Ombos cleared and repaired by the Egyptian . . . — — Map (db m288908) HM
- It dates Back To The Reign of Khafre 2520-2494 Β.C. The Temple was Built Of Limestone Blocks As A. Core And Sheathed In Aswan Red Granite.
There Are Two Entrances (A) And (B)
Leading Into The Vestbiule Hall (C)
A door Then Leads To A . . . — — Map (db m287914) HM
Memphis was home to many kings. King Waa-ib-Ra, also known as Apries, ruled some 600 years after Ramesses II. Here we see a massive stela erected by him dedicating lands, serfs and produce to Ptah of Memphis. The stela was discovered inside the Ptah . . . — — Map (db m287967) HM
According to tradition, the city of Memphis (Mennefer) was founded c. 3000 BCE by Menes, the first king of a politically united Egypt. Located on a narrow stretch of the Nile Valley, at the symbolic boundary between Upper and Lower Egypt, Memphis . . . — — Map (db m287954) HM
To talk about Egypt without mentioning Memphis is like talking about Italy without reference to Rome. This UNESCO World Heritage site was the first capital of Egypt, founded by King Meni (Menes) who united Upper and Lower Egypt. The city of Memphis . . . — — Map (db m287966) HM
Djoser's Step Pyramid Complex is accessed via a colonnade entrance near its south eastern corner. This long hall is flanked by stone columns in the shape of bundles of papyrus or palm branches. These are engaged columns: instead of being free . . . — — Map (db m287969) HM
The wall surrounding Djoser's Step Pyramid complex is an impressive sight. Apart from its imposing height of 10.5 meters, recessed panels decorate the entirety of its 544 x 277 meter perimeter. These panels are known to have decorated the exteriors . . . — — Map (db m287889) HM
The South Court is the vast expanse separating the Step Pyramid from the South Tomb. The Step Pyramid complex is a stone, eternal, version of the royal palace, and the South Court is the palace's courtyard, where the king would have made formal . . . — — Map (db m287900) HM
The Step Pyramid, built during the reign of the Third Dynasty king Djoser (c.2613-2686 BC), was the first ever attempted colossal stone structure in history. Previously, ancient Egyptian royal tombs consisted of a single mastaba made of mudbrick, . . . — — Map (db m287904) HM
Step Pyramid Complex, built by the King Netjerykhet, known also as Djoser (c. 2700 BC).
This is the largest known pyramidal funerary complex in Saqqara. It is considered the first large-scale stone construction in history and an important phase . . . — — Map (db m287888) HM
Dating back to the Sixth Dynasty (around 2330 BC), it consists of the Pyramid, the Mortuary Temple, an ascending passage and the Valley Temple.
In 1881 Gaston Maspero entered the pyramid of King Teti, where he discovered the burial chamber with . . . — — Map (db m287881) HM
The Southern tomb is located at the southwestern corner of the King Djoser funeral complex dating to the 3rd Dynasty, Old Kingdom period. This magnificent complex is the oldest stone building of the ancient world. It was discovered by the English . . . — — Map (db m287902) HM
Built by Djoser, the first king of the Third Dynasty (around 2700 BC).
The Step Pyramid is the first pyramid and the first large stone building in history. It was not built all at once, but in stages. A square mastaba of about 63 m in . . . — — Map (db m287894) HM
The tomb of Mereruka, Vizier of King Teti from the Sixth Dynasty (around 2330 BC), is one of the largest individual tombs and the most complete from the Old Kingdom in Saqqara.
The tomb contains over 30 chambers, of which 21 are devoted to . . . — — Map (db m264448) HM
Tomb of Kagemni, vizier of King Teti, Sixth Dynasty (around 2330 BC).
The tomb of Kagemni, located just to the north of the pyramid of King Teti, was discovered in 1843 by Karl Richard Lepsius. It consists of several chambers decorated with . . . — — Map (db m287885) HM
The Great Conqueror who ruled Egypt from 1504 to 1450 B.C. It contains inscriptions from the book What is in the Hereafter.
• Stairs and corridors
• Well for deluding the thieves
• Chamber with two columns
• Stairs leading to the . . . — — Map (db m132514) HM
Ruled for: 38 years (1390-1352 B.С.)
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
He proceeded with the construction of the Avenue of Sphinxes in front of Khonsu Temple at Karnak to determine the path of the celebration. This section is flanked by 120 . . . — — Map (db m288465) HM
Ancient Luxor was the seat of the king of the gods Amun-Re from ca. 2000 BC to 500 AD. The entire city on both sides of the Nile was a vast complex of temples divided into four distinct sections. Luxor temple, Ipt Rsyt, the site of Amun-Re's . . . — — Map (db m288433) HM
It is the processional way that connects the temples of Karnak with Luxor Temple. With a length of 2,700 meters and about 76 meters in width, this road is flanked by 1,060 statues of Rams, Criosphinxes, Androsphinxes which are separated by a space . . . — — Map (db m288434) HM
George Legrain made an extraordinary discovery in 1903 in the north-west of the courtyard in front of the Seventh Pylon, which had already revealed architectural elements dating from the Middle and New Kingdoms. Over 700 statues in stone and 17000 . . . — — Map (db m288041) HM
State of the courtyard of the Fourth Pylon before Amenhotep III.
The Fourth Pylon, initiated by Thutmosis I, marks the entrance to the Amun sanctuary known as Ipet-Sout. The courtyard in front of the pylon is situated at the junction of the two . . . — — Map (db m288016) HM
The Great Colonnade Hall of Amenhotep III and Tutankhamun
The rest of Luxor Temple is Amenhotep III's best-preserved Theban monument, the product of at least three great building campaigns during his almost 40-year reign. One passes from Ramesses . . . — — Map (db m288444) HM
Access to the Temple of Karnak is gained today, through what is a late addition to the Temple: the First Courtyard, built in front of the east-west axis leading to the sanctuary of Amun, between the end of the XIVth and the IVth century before our . . . — — Map (db m287916) HM
Ruled for: 15 years (1473-1458 B.С.)
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
Queen Hatshepsut built the Red Chapel, the oldest known source for the Opet Festival, in front of the Holy of Holies at Karnak Temple. Archaeological evidence indicates . . . — — Map (db m288466) HM
The Hypostyle Hall between the Second and Third Pylons measures 103 meters in width by 53 meters in length. Its 134 columns imitate the primeval papyrus marsh. The main nave is flanked by two rows of six open-bud papyrus-capital columns and was lit . . . — — Map (db m288006) HM
Luxor Temple, Ipt Rsyt, the "Southern Opet" and Place of the First Occasion (Creation) was largely the product of two Kings, Ramesses II (1290-1224 BC) and Amenhotep III (1391-1353 BC). One of the largest and best preserved of all of Egypt's . . . — — Map (db m288456) HM
The more than 50,000 stone fragments now stored in the Luxor Temple block yard were once part of the decorated walls of Luxor and Karnak Temples. They were reused as building materials in the medieval period.
Many fragments were uncovered in the . . . — — Map (db m310873) HM
Ruled for: 18 years (379-361 B.C.)
30th Dynasty
He began to build the first pylon at Karnak, and renovated the Avenue of Sphinxes with a length of 2220 m., as he erected 807 Androsphinxes starting from the Temple of Mut to Luxor which . . . — — Map (db m288460) HM
Ruled for: 38 years (1070-1032 В.С.)
The Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty
He moved a group of the ram statues of King Amenhotep III and placed them in front of the pylon of Khonsu Temple at Karnak. He also built an Avenue . . . — — Map (db m288462) HM
Luxor Temple, Ipt Rsyt, the 'Southern Opet' and Place of the First Occasion (Creation) was largely the product of two kings, Ramesses II (1290-1224 BC) and Amenhotep III (1391-1353 BC). Like most Egyptian temples, Luxor Temple grew from back . . . — — Map (db m288454) HM
Past the pylon gateway one passes into Ramesses II's great entrance court of papyrus bud columns and colossal statuary. The court was brilliantly designed to help support the pylons and forms a single architectural unit with them. Between the . . . — — Map (db m288436) HM
Ruled for: 66 years (1279-1213 В.С.)
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty
During his reign, the Opet Festival began to extend for about a whole month, and its procession was starting from the second pylon at Karnak to Luxor Temple. . . . — — Map (db m288463) HM
Egypt was a province of the Roman Empire from 29 BC until the Arab conquest in 641 AD. In the year 298 the emperor Diocletian came to Egypt in an impressive show of strength intended to consolidate Roman control over the country. Luxor Temple was . . . — — Map (db m288450) HM
The Sacred Lake is a vast rectangular basin, 200m long by 117m wide, situated in the area delimited by the Amun sanctuary in the North and the first two courtyards on the North-South processional axis in the west. The lake is already present in the . . . — — Map (db m288033) HM
Luxor Temple Sanctuary Area panel
Immediately beyond the Roman Imperial Cult Chamber lies the four-columned Hall of Offerings, where offering vessels of precious oils and scared water, depicted in great detail on the side walls, were brought . . . — — Map (db m288451) HM
The Ancient Egyptian god Khonsu was the son of Amun and Mut and together these three deities formed the holy triad of Thebes. Khonsu was considered to be the god of the Moon and is typically depicted with a falcon head and a headdress with a lunar . . . — — Map (db m287974) HM
These two obelisques were erected by Hatshepsut in the Hypostyle Hall of her father Tuthmosis I.
They were both cut out of red granite quarries at Aswan. According to the text which is covering the obelisques the whole job took 7 months. — — Map (db m106725) HM
Ruled for: 9 years (1332-1323 B.С.)
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
He restored the rule to Thebes at the end of the Amarna Period and re-celebrated the Opet Festival. King Tut constructed 130 Criosphinxes from the tenth pylon to the Temple . . . — — Map (db m288464) HM
The narrow area between the Fourth Pylon and the Fifth Pylon, known to the Ancient Egyptians as the Wadjyt, because of the wadj (papyrus) columns that held up its roof. Situated in the very heart of the Amun sanctuary, the Wadjyt is separated in two . . . — — Map (db m288023) HM
