El-Lahun

Al- Lahun (Arabic اللاهون al - Lahun, often written Illahun ) is a village in Egypt, located at the eastern entrance to the Fayyum basin.

Geographical location

The place is located in the valley of the Nile to the Bahr Yusuf ( Joseph's Canal) about 90 kilometers south of Cairo and is approximately halfway between the Nile lying on the place Beni Suef and the city lying in the Faiyum Basin Fayyum ( Madinat al - Fayyum ).

Ancient necropolis

About three kilometers north of al - Lahun is an ancient necropolis of the Middle Kingdom with the remains of the pyramid of Sesostris II. A significant discovery was the tomb of Princess Sit- Hathor - IUNET, which found there gold jewelry today in museums in Cairo and New York is.

About eight kilometers northeast of al - Lahun of Abu Sir al Malaq lies with another ancient necropolis, which was occupied in the late Naqada culture and later in the Hyksos period, the Saite and Roman period.

Ancient city Hetep - Senusret

An even more important archaeological discovery was the discovery of the ancient city Hetep - Senusret little north of al - Lahun. From the explorer Flinders Petrie Kahun this place was called, but this designation is based on a hearing defect Petrie, who understood instead Lahun " Kahun ". In more recent research, therefore enforces the designation el-Lahun/Lahun for the pyramid and the city.

Located near the valley temple of Sesostris II - pyramid this city is created on the drawing board and served for centuries the cult of the dead king, but also as a regional center, organized by, for example, the construction of the Pyramid of Hawara was from. In the ruins of numerous papyri were found with mathematical, literary and medical texts in hieratic writing as well as documents, letters and invoices.

The current road layout is partly on the crest of a dike that has already been created in the time of Pharaoh Sesostris II.

The Mayor of the City

• Nebukaure, at least 7 to 18 years of Sesostris III.
• Senusret, at least 9 to 24 years of Amenemhet III.
• Chentychetyhotep, from the 25th year of Amenemhet III.
• Chacheperreseneb, (son of Senusret ) is in the 37th year of Amenemhet III.
• Neferianch, only known seal impression, probably 13th Dynasty
• Sneferu, known only from seal impression, probably 13th Dynasty
• Senni, precise dating appears on various undated papyrus fragments, uncertain