Heracleopolis Magna

The city was ( called front Baumgau, also Oleanderbaumgau or Naret - Baumgau ) in Ancient Egypt, the capital of the 20th Upper Egyptian nome. The kings of the 9th and 10th dynasty resided in Herakleopolis until the city was conquered by Mentuhotep II.

Research

29.08333333333330.933333333333Koordinaten: 29 ° 5 ' N, 30 ° 56 ' E

Edouard Naville excavated from 1891 to 1892 and William Matthew Flinders Petrie in 1904 in Herakleopolis. In the 60s and 70s and since 1984 a Spanish expedition explored in Herakleopolis. The archaeological site is now at risk in a very bad condition and groundwater.

Mythological connections

The ancient Egyptian name of locality refers to Heri chief (Greek Hesif ) as the main deity of the place; "He is on his lake " to his main name he led the epithet "King of the two countries and rulers of the bank, which began the kingship at the very beginning ." Heri boss came in this context, among other things, as a child in the appearance of the re- Harachte. In the Demotic Chronicle Neni - nesu is described as a place of the new king, the Heri chief selects and appoints.

So the vote of Heri chief divine enthronement is shown for example in the second hypostyle hall of the temple of Edfu in a ritual scene in which Ptolemy IV of Heri boss receives the Atef crown. In Ptolemaic texts of Dendera and Edfu is also reported that in the area of Magna Herakleopolis a battle between Horus and Seth took place.

The temple

The sanctuary of the chief Heri, which was on a lake, built there Amenemhet I and Sesostris I (12th Dynasty). The lake and the temple were located near Herakleopolis Magna. In the New Kingdom temple of the learned, especially in the 18th Dynasty major expansions, Ramses II built the temple later renovate from scratch.

He left the court of the temple before each column of the two side halls, a colossal statue of himself set up. In the atrium a back hall followed with a double row of palm columns. Another pillar hall led into the interior of the temple. The temple of the New Kingdom was in the 23rd Dynasty replaced by a new one which was restored in the Greco- Roman period.

Five kilometers to the south lie the excavated tombs of Sedment, which was adopted by earlier that they would be the cemetery of Herakleopolis. However, they are now attributed Nildörfern in the immediate area, as now in Herakleopolis even cemeteries were found.