Temple of Khnum
temple of Esna
Esna is a town situated on the west bank of the Nile, located 55 kilometers south of Luxor. Cruise ships departing from Luxor often stop at this town to explore the ruins of a Ptolemaic temple located in the town’s center.
In ancient times, Esna was known as Iunyn Ta-Senet or classical Latopolis. The temple, constructed during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras and still standing today, is located nine meters below the present-day ground level in an excavation pit. The temple is dedicated to several gods, including Khnum, Neith, Heka, Satet, and Menheyet.
The Esna Temple built using a similar layout as the temples at Edfu and Dendera. However, only the hypostyle hall remains today, which was added by the Roman Emperor Claudius to older structures. The oldest part of the building still standing today is the west (rear) wall, which would have been the original temple’s facade and has reliefs of Ptolemy VI Philometer and Ptolemy VIII Neos Philopator. In this passage, Ptolemy V is the first ruler named, who is receiving a libation from his son Ptolemy VII. The visible portion of the temple today is only around one-fourth the size of the original structure.
The Temple of Khnum, also known as the Temple of Esna, was a remarkable structure due to its stunning location and magnificent design. It was constructed to pay homage to the deity Khnum, his partners Menhit and Nebtu, their son Heka, and the goddess Neith. The significance of Egyptian temples is evident in the Temple of Esna. All Egyptians were required to observe strict regulations regarding ritual cleanliness to visit an Egyptian temple.
The visible portion of the temple is now only a quarter of its original size.
Luxor Tours & Activities
Looking to save some costs on your travel? Why not join a shared group tour to explore Luxor, Egypt? Here are some activities you might be interested in:
The Location of Temple of Khnum
History of Esna Temple
The Temple of Khnum is an intriguing site that is situated nine meters below ground level. Historical documents suggest that it was constructed on top of an older temple, and most historians agree that Tuthmosis III had a hand in its creation. However, it is hard to prove this because only the modern temple is intact.
This text discusses the Temple of Khnum, constructed during Egypt’s Greek and Roman eras, and features some of Ptolemaic kings, the final pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
Structure and Design of Esna Temple
The temple had a portico with six rows of four columns made of red sandstone. Each column had lotus-leaf capitals arranged uniquely in each row. The temple’s hypostyle hall had 24 columns with different floral capitals, and its roof is still intact. The columns were decorated with writings about the religious celebrations of the town and the offerings made by different Roman emperors to the gods. There is also a hieroglyphic inscription from Decius’ reign (249-251 CE) One of the columns in the hypostyle hall shows the Trajan dance before the goddess Menheyet.
The north wall of the hypostyle has an image of the king catching wildfowl, representing evil spirits. On the east wall, there is a confusing relief at the corner that displays the bottom part of a calendar. It is believed to be a secret ode to Khnum, and its hieroglyphs depict crocodiles, which repeated on the opposite corner of the same wall in ram hieroglyphs. In the entryway, a tiny chamber that was possibly a chapel with cartouches of Domitian or a priest’s dressing room has been constructed into the east wall. On the south wall, Septimus Servus and his sons Geta and Caracalla depicted standing before various deities.
Restoration of Esna Temple
Archaeologists have recently restored the ceiling frescoes of the temple of Khnum located in the Egyptian city of Esna. The frescoes were covered with grime and soot accumulated over two millennia. Thanks to the meticulous restoration work, these incredible works of art have been revived and can now be appreciated in all their glory.
In the Temple of Khnum in Esna, a layer of dirt and soot has covered the colors for nearly 2,000 years, which has helped preserve them.
The paintings depict the Lower-Egyptian snake goddess Wadjet and the Upper-Egyptian vulture goddess Nekhbet, each represented by one of the 46 vultures in the artwork. Wadjet is shown as a vulture with open wings and the head of a cobra, while Nekhbet wears the throne of Upper Egypt. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Tübingen have collaborated on restoring the frescoes’ original colors since 2018.
F.A.Q
Ptolemy VI Philometor
The construction of the Temple of Khnum at Esna began in the 3rd century BCE during the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor.
Temple of Khnum constructed between 237 and 57 BC during the Ptolemaic period, is one of the most well-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt.
Book Your Trip To Luxor
