Hibis Temple
Vivian, Cassandra (2000) The Western Deserts of Egypt, pp. 76-7:
"Hibis, known as the Town of the Plough in ancient times, was the garrisoned capital of the oasis. Easily covering a square kilometer, it lay in the valley between the foothills of Gebels al-Teir and Nadura. We know little of the town, for much of it is buried beneath cultivated land, but excavations by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1909-10, uncovered a few houses with vaulted ceilings and fresco paintings.
In the center of the town stood the Temple of Amun-Re, a sandstone temple, with an east/west axis, which is the best preserved temple in the Western Desert (partly because it was buried in sand until the Metropolitan team dug it out). It was begun by Apries in 588 B.C., during the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, continued by his successor Amasis II, and completed by Darius I in 522 B.C. The temple is one of two built by the Persians in Egypt, both in Kharga Oasis. Further additions were made by later pharaohs and a fourth century church was built along the north side of the portico.
Today the temple is located in a picturesque palm grove in front of what was once the sacred lake. It is approached through a Roman gate with inscriptions that have contributed greatly to our understanding of Roman rule. Created in A.D. 68, they provide information on a variety of topics
including taxation, the court system, inheritance, and the rights of women. Modern graffiti found in the hypostyle hall includes the names of nineteenth-century European travelers: Cailliaud, who claims to have discovered it, Drovetti, Rosingana, Houghton, Hyde, Schweinfurth, and Rohlfs.
The temple is dedicated to the Theban triad Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, and reliefs are in very good condition. There is also a large wall relief of Seth, the god of the oases, with a blue body and the head of a falcon. Here he is slaying a serpent with his spear. Recently the temple has been the object of a five-year epigraphic survey carried out by an American team led by Eugene Cruze-Uribe. In front of the temple are Greek and Roman
tombs.
Getting There: Hibis is 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) after the turn off for Nadura. You can't miss it."
"Hibis, known as the Town of the Plough in ancient times, was the garrisoned capital of the oasis. Easily covering a square kilometer, it lay in the valley between the foothills of Gebels al-Teir and Nadura. We know little of the town, for much of it is buried beneath cultivated land, but excavations by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1909-10, uncovered a few houses with vaulted ceilings and fresco paintings.
In the center of the town stood the Temple of Amun-Re, a sandstone temple, with an east/west axis, which is the best preserved temple in the Western Desert (partly because it was buried in sand until the Metropolitan team dug it out). It was begun by Apries in 588 B.C., during the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, continued by his successor Amasis II, and completed by Darius I in 522 B.C. The temple is one of two built by the Persians in Egypt, both in Kharga Oasis. Further additions were made by later pharaohs and a fourth century church was built along the north side of the portico.
Today the temple is located in a picturesque palm grove in front of what was once the sacred lake. It is approached through a Roman gate with inscriptions that have contributed greatly to our understanding of Roman rule. Created in A.D. 68, they provide information on a variety of topics
including taxation, the court system, inheritance, and the rights of women. Modern graffiti found in the hypostyle hall includes the names of nineteenth-century European travelers: Cailliaud, who claims to have discovered it, Drovetti, Rosingana, Houghton, Hyde, Schweinfurth, and Rohlfs.
The temple is dedicated to the Theban triad Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, and reliefs are in very good condition. There is also a large wall relief of Seth, the god of the oases, with a blue body and the head of a falcon. Here he is slaying a serpent with his spear. Recently the temple has been the object of a five-year epigraphic survey carried out by an American team led by Eugene Cruze-Uribe. In front of the temple are Greek and Roman
tombs.
Getting There: Hibis is 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) after the turn off for Nadura. You can't miss it."
This temple was not open when I visited in April 2011, so I only have pictures from the perimeter.
Page last updated, 2nd June, 2011