Dush
Vivian, Cassandra (2000) The Western Deserts of Egypt, pp. 87-8:
"Entrance fee. While the main route of the Darb al-Arbain goes south from Baris to the two Maks and Qasr, another goes southeast to Dush and then east to the Nile Valley. Dush is the ancient Kysis, and lies 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) south of Baris on this route. Located, yet again, on a strategic hill, Dush is a border town and held a garrisoned fortress to protect the community, the cultivated areas, and the southern frontier of the Roman Empire. A major military installation, it was guarded by Roman troops sent from Esna and Edfu along the Darb al-Dush.
Today thousands upon thousands of potsherds cover the site and two sandstone temples and several cemeteries have been excavated by the Institut Français d'Archeologie Orientale, whose dig house is at the base of the hill.
There is evidence that the town existed before Ptolemaic times. From papyri found in the area dated to the third century, and archaeological evidence just coming to light, it is apparent that the site was of great importance. Kysis was a bustling community with merchants filling the needs of the populace and trading with the caravans that passed both north-south and east-west. Daily needs were met by potters, jewelers, metal-workers, and other craftsmen. There were schools for the children and bawdy and gaming houses filled with good food and wine from the
excellent oasis grapes for the soldiers. Farmers, cultivating the fields, provided produce and meat for the area, and some of it, especially the grain, was loaded onto caravans for export to other communities in the oasis, the Nile Valley, and perhaps to Rome itself. Evidence indicates the town was abandoned in the fifth century.
The Fortress
The fortress stands atop the highest hill in the area about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northeast of the modern village of Dush. It is 79 meters (253 feet) above sea level. The oldest building found so far on this site, the fortress dates from the Ptolemaic era. The ruined walls, rising to 6 meters (19.2 feet) enclose a rectangular space. Four or five stories lie underground. Recent theories postulate that the fortress at Dush was garrisoned to keep the Darb al-Dush open. Thus Dush may have been more important to the east-west connection to the Nile Valley than to the north-south Darb al-Arbain.
The Temple
The sandstone temple of Osiris, built by Domitian between 81 and 96, abuts the fortress on the east. Trajan added a court in 117 and Hadrian added other portions of the temple. Although there are few decorations, parts of the temple are believed to have been covered in gold. The temple comprises several areas ,including two courts, a small hypostyle hall with only four columns, and a sanctuary. Full of inscriptions to the Roman emperors Hadrian and Trajan, the gateway was also used by nineteenth-century travelers, who did not hesitate to join their names with those of their illustrious ancestors. They include Cailliaud, who claimed to be the first European to visit the site.
Numerous artifacts have been unearthed in and around the temple area including pottery, coins, ostraca, and jewelry. Among the most interesting fmds have been letters, receipts, garrison lists, and bills. They help us to piece together life at Kysis. A second temple, probably from the Roman period, lies 200 meters (640 feet) west. It has vaulted ceilings, small rooms, and a staircase.
Ancient cemeteries surround the town on the north and west. Although the Roman cemeteries running southeast almost to the escarpment are the largest, the most impressive is a tiny version of Bagawat that lies to the north of the fortress. Dating from the late Ptolemaic period, the tombs are undecorated. The ruins of Tell al-Dabba al-Sarqiya, home to a farming community which cultivated the region between the fortress and the cemetery, lie along the route to the Naqb and Darb al-Dush.
The modern village, perched atop a smaller hill to the south of Kysis, is still a good-sized community, which has maintained the feel of a frontier town. It sits well into the middle of the Western Desert and the major trade routes to and from have been abandoned for over a century. In 1898, only 161 people lived in Dush but with the paving of the Darb al-Arbain and the future possibility of paving the Darb al-Dush the village could once more develop into a thriving community."
"Entrance fee. While the main route of the Darb al-Arbain goes south from Baris to the two Maks and Qasr, another goes southeast to Dush and then east to the Nile Valley. Dush is the ancient Kysis, and lies 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) south of Baris on this route. Located, yet again, on a strategic hill, Dush is a border town and held a garrisoned fortress to protect the community, the cultivated areas, and the southern frontier of the Roman Empire. A major military installation, it was guarded by Roman troops sent from Esna and Edfu along the Darb al-Dush.
Today thousands upon thousands of potsherds cover the site and two sandstone temples and several cemeteries have been excavated by the Institut Français d'Archeologie Orientale, whose dig house is at the base of the hill.
There is evidence that the town existed before Ptolemaic times. From papyri found in the area dated to the third century, and archaeological evidence just coming to light, it is apparent that the site was of great importance. Kysis was a bustling community with merchants filling the needs of the populace and trading with the caravans that passed both north-south and east-west. Daily needs were met by potters, jewelers, metal-workers, and other craftsmen. There were schools for the children and bawdy and gaming houses filled with good food and wine from the
excellent oasis grapes for the soldiers. Farmers, cultivating the fields, provided produce and meat for the area, and some of it, especially the grain, was loaded onto caravans for export to other communities in the oasis, the Nile Valley, and perhaps to Rome itself. Evidence indicates the town was abandoned in the fifth century.
The Fortress
The fortress stands atop the highest hill in the area about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northeast of the modern village of Dush. It is 79 meters (253 feet) above sea level. The oldest building found so far on this site, the fortress dates from the Ptolemaic era. The ruined walls, rising to 6 meters (19.2 feet) enclose a rectangular space. Four or five stories lie underground. Recent theories postulate that the fortress at Dush was garrisoned to keep the Darb al-Dush open. Thus Dush may have been more important to the east-west connection to the Nile Valley than to the north-south Darb al-Arbain.
The Temple
The sandstone temple of Osiris, built by Domitian between 81 and 96, abuts the fortress on the east. Trajan added a court in 117 and Hadrian added other portions of the temple. Although there are few decorations, parts of the temple are believed to have been covered in gold. The temple comprises several areas ,including two courts, a small hypostyle hall with only four columns, and a sanctuary. Full of inscriptions to the Roman emperors Hadrian and Trajan, the gateway was also used by nineteenth-century travelers, who did not hesitate to join their names with those of their illustrious ancestors. They include Cailliaud, who claimed to be the first European to visit the site.
Numerous artifacts have been unearthed in and around the temple area including pottery, coins, ostraca, and jewelry. Among the most interesting fmds have been letters, receipts, garrison lists, and bills. They help us to piece together life at Kysis. A second temple, probably from the Roman period, lies 200 meters (640 feet) west. It has vaulted ceilings, small rooms, and a staircase.
Ancient cemeteries surround the town on the north and west. Although the Roman cemeteries running southeast almost to the escarpment are the largest, the most impressive is a tiny version of Bagawat that lies to the north of the fortress. Dating from the late Ptolemaic period, the tombs are undecorated. The ruins of Tell al-Dabba al-Sarqiya, home to a farming community which cultivated the region between the fortress and the cemetery, lie along the route to the Naqb and Darb al-Dush.
The modern village, perched atop a smaller hill to the south of Kysis, is still a good-sized community, which has maintained the feel of a frontier town. It sits well into the middle of the Western Desert and the major trade routes to and from have been abandoned for over a century. In 1898, only 161 people lived in Dush but with the paving of the Darb al-Arbain and the future possibility of paving the Darb al-Dush the village could once more develop into a thriving community."
Dils, Peter (2000) Der Tempel von Dusch. Publikation und Untersuchungen eines ägyptischen Provinztempels der römischen Zeit. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln. is available online as a set of pdf files.
Page last updated, 2nd June, 2011