Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple complex on the western outskirts of the approximately 60,000 inhabitants town of Edfu in Upper Egypt. The city is situated on the west bank of the Nile, about 100 kilometers north of Aswan and 85 kilometers south of Luxor. The temple is regarded as one of the best preserved throughout Egypt.

The temple of Edfu was the local god Hor - Behdeti, the " Horus of Edfu ", consecrated and was built during the reign of the Ptolemies of Egypt. Horus also appeared there in other manifestations of God. The side form Behdeti refers to the designation of the entire surrounding region Edfu as " Southern Behdet ". In Greco- Roman times it was known as Megale Ἀpóllônos pólis or Apollinopolis Magna, which explains Dieter Kurth, employees of Edfu project as equating "the local god Horus was identified with the Greek god Apollo. "

2.1 The Temple of Horus at Edfu
2.2 The Mammisi

History

The place was Edfu since the fifth dynasty of the Old Kingdom capital of the second nome of Upper Egypt ( Wetjes -Hor; " Horus - throne - Gau " or " Falkengau "). According to legend, Horus in Edfu here was one of his biggest fights against Seth. During the Middle Kingdom Hor - Behdeti was the Gaugott the " Horus - throne - Gaus " in Greco- Roman times took Behdeti this function.

The Temple of " Horus of Edfu " was built in the period 237-57 BC. In ancient Greece, the time of the Ptolemies, was called Edfu Ἀpóllônos pólis Megale, named after the god Horus of Buto, who underwent a special guest worship here. In the temple of Edfu two gods triads were involved in the local theology; one hand, Hor - Behdeti, Hathor of Dendara and Ihi and Isis on the other hand, Harsomtus and Harsomtus -pa - chered. Horus came in Edfu in addition to several guest roles, for example as " The of Behdet ," Hor - heri - wadjef, Hor -pa - chered, Hor - Behdeti -em- cheperuef -en -Re, Hor - Behdeti -em -set - wenep, Hor - Behdeti re- Min, Horus of Buto in Edfu ( Apollon in Edfu ), Harsiese in Falkengau and Harsiese in Edfu.

In addition to the Temple of Hor - Behdeti are still considerable remains of the ancient city. The temple of Edfu was covered a long time up to the capitals with sand, what its good state of preservation explained. On its side edges stood on the sand masses in the 19th century homes of the local fellahin. Almost a hundred of the buildings were demolished in 1860 at the excavation of the temples under Auguste Mariette.

In the recent history of Egypt, the site of the temple has developed into a center of attraction for tourism. The visit of the Temple of Edfu is an integral part of river cruises on the Nile between the northern and the southern Aswan Luxor. The pier of the trains running on the Nile cruise ships is located about 850 meters east of the temple complex.

Architectural History of the Temple

The foundation of the temple of Edfu, called the House of Hor - Behdeti surnamed Hwt - kn ( " house of the strong " ), took place in the tenth year of the reign of Pharaoh Ptolemy III. Euergetes I., the following year of the jubilee of the Canopus Decree. According to today's era this foundation stone was laid on 23 August of the year 237 BC instead (after Dieter Arnold). In an inscription of the temple building says:

" This beautiful day in the 10th [ year of reign ] ( day) of the month 7 Epiphi the time of Majesty [ the son ] of Re ( Ptolemy III. Euergetes I. ) was the day of the festival Senut than you the dimensions ( the construction ) was committing himself to the ground, (it) was the first of all Senut festivals on the occasion of Strickespannens in the founding of the Great - seat - of -Re - Harachte ( Edfu ), the foundation of the throne seat - of - protector - his - father ( Edfu ). The king with the goddess Seshat, the Great laid laid the ground plan of the First Shrine ( Edfu ); the correct position of its rooms was determined by the gods of creation word in common with the Lord of Hedenpflanze ( Thoth ), the Chnumgötter began to form, Ptah was formed and the first Urgötterschaft was in jubilation erupted around rings. [ ... ] The walls were decorated in its interior the most pleasant way with reliefs, with the figures of gods and goddesses as well as with the images of (all) the splendor of the glory - creators ( Edfu ). "

Another temple inscription, attached to the naos of the temple, writes Imhotep, son of Ptah, the inspiration for the project. Since Imhotep but vizier of Pharaoh Djoser was the second king of the 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, the BC ruled Egypt from about 2720 to 2700, here is a symbolic use appears to be present. Imhotep has been received as High Priest of Ptah and the first great architect of the Old Kingdom in the story, who is responsible for the establishment of the Djoser pyramid. As such, he was revered by later architects as a mythical predecessor, which was even considered in the New Kingdom in Memphis and Thebes revered as divine son of the god Ptah. The attribution of the temple of Edfu should probably give the guarantee for a perfect structure.

The successor Ptolemy IV built in 212 BC, the Holy of Holies in the temple. In his 16th year of reign (206 BC), other activities were interrupted by the reign of the anti-kings Harwennefer and Anchwennefer and related unrest after completion of the double doors just before their insertion in the gates. Ptolemy VI. only took 176 BC to build up again. In the year 147 BC, the actual temple was completed under Ptolemy VII. The consecration of the sanctuary took place on September 10, 142 BC by Ptolemy VIII Subsequently there were further work on the building complex as the bringing forward of the pronaos vestibule ( 140-124 BCE ), and in the reigns of Ptolemy IX. Ptolemy X and the establishment of the colonnaded courtyard to the front of towering pylon ( 116-71 BC). In the 25th year of the reign of Ptolemy XII. the work was completed on the pylon on December 5, 57 BC after a total of 180 years of construction with the completion of the reliefs.

Temple festivals

The temple of Edfu was in the Ptolemaic period a place of important festivals in honor of the gods of Horus cult. In addition to the New Year was celebrated here every year the marriage of Horus at Edfu (Hor - Behdeti ) with the Hathor of Dendara (Hat -Hor - IUNET ) and the festival of victory of Horus over Seth from the Osiris and Horus myth. In the temple were also living falcons in a bird house, the " Falk temple ", raised, one of which was crowned annually one of the animals in the temple and made a living symbol of Horus. From the bird house no traces remain.

The inscriptions of Edfu temple are for the philology of great importance, since they are among the largest continuous collections of hieroglyphic texts of the Greco-Roman period. Since 1986, the Hamburg Edfu project translated these inscriptions. So far, the texts of the pylons and the outside of the enclosure have been published in German language.

Temples

The Temple of Horus at Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is in its north -south orientation 137 meters long and at the front pylon 79 meters wide. Originally, the outer wall of the temple was completely surrounded by a comma an upwardly transitional brick wall that has survived in part, today. The 36 meter high pylon at the south entrance of the temple consists of two massive, but inside rooms on four levels with walk- towers that frame the main entrance.

On both sides of the portal two vertical recesses are visible in the facade that served the inclusion of flagpoles with the implanted standards. Between them ever a relief of the chief god of the temple Hor - Behdeti are located on both sides ( " Horus of Edfu " ) and lateral to the portal a smaller relief of the goddess Hat -Hor - IUNET ( " Hathor of Dendara "), a local form of Hathor Goddess of the place Dendara 130 km north of Edfu. The gods look outwards on two large reliefs on each side of the facade, where they Pharaoh Ptolemy XII. ( Neos Dionysos ) prisoners offereth a victim. Before the pylon are the right and left of the temple entrance two Falk statues of black granite. This Horus depictions missing today their crowns that still bears a similar statue in the courtyard of the temple.

After passing through the portal to reach the court of the temple, surrounded by 32 columns that form colonnades at the three sites on the east, south and west. The columns have different capitals, but is the same of the opposing columns in shape. The inside of the pylons is decorated over the southern colonnade as its facade with relief. The atrium, also called " broad halo of Libation ', has the temple entrance to the pronaos a length of 49 meters and an east-west direction, a width of 42.6 meters.

On the north side of the courtyard located in the middle between the six pillars entrance to the pronaos vestibule provides access to the actual temple building. The located next to the entrance pillars gaps are sealed with intercolumniations - walls, which reach about half the height of the columns and are decorated with reliefs. On the left side in front of the entrance to the building is the already mentioned above, bearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt statue of a falcon, made just like the two statues in front of the pylon in black granite. Right side, lying on the ground the remains of a second similar statue.

Building views of the Temple of Edfu
Portal in Pylon
North side of the pylons
Forecourt of the temple
Ambulatory

Known as the pronaos or portico first vestibule of the temple of Edfu is nearly 14 meters long and 25 meters wide in the direction of the sanctuary. It consists of 18 columns, with the six outer pillars of the south side at the entrance are included in the calculation. The columns form three rows parallel to the front entrance, two rows of free-standing in the interior of the pronaos. Left and right of the entrance are two small separate spaces within the vestibule. Firstly, it involves the "House of Tomorrow" on the west side, which served the temple priests for cleaning before the rite and the storage of objects for the " holy act ", on the other hand, the liturgical library on the right side of the entrance whose former stock lists are engraved on papyrus scrolls in the walls.

Behind the porch is another hall, the second pillared hall, equipped with three rows of four columns. On the east wall of the divine coronation of Ptolemy IV is shown in the fourth register as a ritual scene. Responsible for the kingship God Heri chief presented as " lord of the Nemes " the king headscarf. Heri boss wears, among other things, the term " King of the two countries and rulers of the bank, which began the kingship at the very beginning ." Ptolemy IV occurs in the form of Harendotes approached Heri boss and receives from him as the "king with hands- force in terms of its enemies," the Atef crown of Re - Harachte. Heri boss contributes handover the nickname " The Re at the place of his youth " and symbolized in this moment, the two gods Re and Osiris as well as the central motif of ancient Egyptian mythology: The "Festival of Aufhackens of the Earth" from the Osiris myth regarding the killing of Seth by Horus.

Interiors of the temple
Columns of the pronaos
The library
Look to the Most Holy
Holy bark

Between the columns you get further into the interior of the sanctuary. From the second portico go from three rooms. Right-hand side is the space of " liquid offerings " with an outside door to the walkway around the outer wall of the temple building. Links, on the west side, there are two entrances, one to the area of " solid offerings ", also with an external door to the cloister, on the other hand in a work space or laboratory where the offerings were prepared for ceremonies. On the walls of this room are the ingredients listed that were used for the rite. After the preparatory acts they brought the sacrificial objects in the "Room of offerings " behind the second pillared hall toward the sanctuary. From him go two flights of stairs from the terrace above location.

The subsequent "middle room " was the religious center of the temple. In its center is a self-contained stand-alone small building, the Sancta Sanctorum, the, the " Holy of Holies " was home. To this separate building around grouped along the outer wall of the temple each individual deities of Horus cult consecrated chapels, whose access to the " Corridor of Mysteries ", revolving around the construction of the Blessed Sacrament, lie. Both the chapels and the corridor are richly decorated with bas-reliefs designed religiously. In the most holy house, the image of the chief god was kept. It stood in a gray, four-meter high granite block, a shrine, also known as Naos, the ( BC 360 ) comes from the reign of Nectanebo II and still exists in its original location. Before the block today is (also Sun Ship ) issued a sacred barque that was formerly stored in one of the ten rooms in the " Corridor of Mysteries ".

The Mammisi

About 60 meters to the southwest of the main entrance there is a small, flanked with columns in front of the building pylon of the Temple of Edfu. This single storey building was a shrine to the goddess Hathor of Dendara. During the reign of Pharaoh Ptolemy IX. built, it was probably first to the main temple, but then transformed into a separately standing naiskos (Greek ναϊσκος " temple ").

The in Ptolemaic times as a hat - Chenmet ( "House of the nurse " ) designated building was a so-called " birthplace ", a Mammisi ( from Coptic, "place of birth" significantly ). In Mammisi of Edfu next to Hathor the child god Hor - SEMATAUI -pa - chered ( " Harsomtus, the child " ) was worshiped as the heir of the chief god of Edfu Hor - Behdeti. Here renewed annually the miracle of the birth of Hor -pa - chered, so this was also a sacred place for pregnant women.

The interior of the Mammisi consisted of two small rooms and the sanctuary. To the east, atrial joined. Stood on both sides of the building, and are for the most part today, the five pillars of a small colonnade forming. In the same way, the rear wall of the Mammisi is built with three columns. Above the capitals of the columns is Bes, patron god of the child of God, ie the descendants of Pharaoh represented.

On the walls decorated the birth legend is shown. The corresponding scenes have their mythological roots in the New Kingdom, where the divine birth of the king was an integral part of the image programs in the temples of the New Kingdom. The Ptolemaic kings changed those birth myth. In all Mammisis the Greco -Roman period replaced the respective new local form of a child of God, the pre-existing central motif king of the New Kingdom. The name of the deities involved in the local Mammisis based on the Pantheon existing there.

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