Mammisi

A Mammisi ( ancient Egyptian Per mesi ) is a part of an ancient Egyptian temple complex, which has the shape of a small temple and archaeologically from about the eighth century BC to the fourth century AD, is detectable. Mammisi are within the ramparts of the main temple at right angles to Hauptprozessionsweg.

Mythological connections

The introduction of Mammisi based on the introduced since the 20th Dynasty child deities named appendix " pa - chered " (the child ). As a precursor of ABCs small predecessors of the Ramesside period and thematically relevant parts of the image program are older temple. Subsequently, the Mammisi learned with the start of the Ptolemaic period a completely new theological orientation that put the cult of child deities in the center of the gods triads, for example, in Dendera, Edfu and Philae.

Since it was common in the later period of ancient Egyptian religion to dedicate the temple to the gods triads, ie a group of three gods, the father - mother-child stood in the constellation to each other, was in the temple cult and the thematic group " wedding ", " birth", " child-rearing " and " enthronement of the successor " treated. The Mammisi served as a place of worship for this celebration of the rebirth of the monarchy.

In the Greco-Roman period the decorative program of the Mammisi with Bes - images is extended to the column capitals of the pronaos. The Bes - gods ( Haitiu ) The Return of the Goddess were integrated in the mythology, which is why the Egyptian population was of Tefnut arrival in Egypt with corresponding dances jubilantly celebrated.

The origin of the Mammisi is in prehistoric " week bowers " anticipates, temporary buildings or shelters made ​​of wood and mats, where expectant mothers were then isolated during the preparations for the birth and during the first weeks of the human community. The reference to the improvised design of the old " bowers " is evident in the here often used " plants pillars" and the semi- high stone walls that look like hung with ancient mats wooden barriers, which were used as a screen.