Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III, from the air.

Medinet Habu is the name commonly given to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III, an important New Kingdom period structure in the location of the same name on the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt. Aside from its intrinsic size and architectural and artistic importance, the temple is probably best known as the source of inscribed reliefs depicting the advent and defeat of the Sea Peoples during the reign of Ramesses III. ImageMetadata File history File links Medinethabu. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Medinethabu. ... The New Kingdom is the period in Egyptian history between the 16th century BCE and the 11th century BCE, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt. ... The River Nile at Luxor Street market in Luxor See also the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Luxor is a city in Upper (southern) Egypt. ... Sea Peoples is the term used in ancient Egyptian records of a race of ship-faring raiders who drifted into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean and attempted to enter Egyptian territory during the late 19th dynasty, and especially year 5 of Rameses III of the 20th Dynasty. ... Osirid statues of Ramses III at his temple at Medinet Habu. ...

Description

Migdol entrance to Medinat Habu

The temple, some 150 m long, is of orthodox design, and resembles closely the nearby mortuary temple of Ramesses II (the Ramesseum). It is quite well preserved and surrounded by a massive mudbrick enclosure, which may have been fortified. The original entrance is through a fortified gate-house, known as a migdol (and resembled an Asiatic fortress). ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 106 KB) Migdol at Medinat Habu. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 106 KB) Migdol at Medinat Habu. ... Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut Mortuary temples (or memorial temples) were temples constructed adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, royal tombs in the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom periods of Ancient Egypt. ... Ramesses II, Abu Simbel Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty. ... The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramses II (Ramses the Great). ...

Just inside the enclosure, to the south, are chapels of Amenirdis I, Shepenupet II and Nitiqret, all of whom had the title of Divine Adoratrice of Amun. The Ancient Egyptian princess Amenirdis I, was the sister of Piankhi, and was adopted by the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, Shepenupet I as her successor. ... The title Divine Adoratrice of Amun can be seen as a resurgence of the title Gods Wife of Amun which had fallen out of use until the 19th Dynasty, where Ramses IVs daughter Aset held the role, as well as the additional title of Divine Adoratrice. ...

First Pylon of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

Ceiling decoration in the peristyle hall

Osirion columns in the peristyle court

The first pylon leads into an open courtyard, lined with colossal statues of Ramesses III as Osiris on one side, and uncarved columns on the other. The second pylon leads into a peristyle hall, again featuring columns in the shape of Ramesses. This leads up a ramp that leads (through a columned portico) to the third pylon and then into the large hypostyle hall (which has lost its roof). Image File history File links Egypt. ... Image File history File links Egypt. ... Image File history File links Egypt. ... Image File history File links Egypt. ... Pylon is the Greek term for a monumental gate or door built in front of an Egyptian temple. ... Osirid statues of Ramses III at his temple at Medinet Habu. ... Osiris (Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously spelled Asar, Aser, Ausar, or Ausare) is the Egyptian god of death and the underworld. ...

In Coptic times, there was a church inside the temple structure, which has since been removed. Some of the carvings in the main wall of the temple have been altered by coptic carvings. Coptic is an adjective referring to the original inhabitants of Egypt, the Copts. ... Coptic is an adjective referring to the original inhabitants of Egypt, the Copts. ...

Excavation

Initial excavation of the temple took place sporadically between 1859 and 1899, under the auspices of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. During these decades the main temple was cleared, a large number of Coptic period buildings removed and the site made accessible to visitors. 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Coptic is an adjective referring to the original inhabitants of Egypt, the Copts. ...

The further excavation, recording and conservation of the temple has been facilitated in chief part by the Architectural and Epigraphic Surveys of Chicago University's Oriental Institute, almost continuously since 1924. The University of Chicago is a private co-educational university located in Chicago, Illinois. ... The Oriental Institute (OI) is the University of Chicagos archeology museum and research center for ancient Near Eastern studies. ... 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Further reading

Murnane, William J, United with Eternity – A Concise Guide to the Monuments of Medinet Habu, Te Oriental Institute, University of Chicago and the American University of Cairo Press, 1980. ISBN 0918986281

Archaeological reports

• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu I, Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III (OIP 8; Chicago, 1930)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu II, Later Historical Records of Ramses III (OIP 9; Chicago, 1932)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu III, The Calendar, the 'Slaughter House,' and Minor Records of Ramses III (OIP 23; Chicago, 1934)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu IV, Festival Scenes of Ramses III (OIP 51; Chicago, 1940)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu V, The Temple Proper, part 1 (OIP 83; Chicago, 1957)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu VI, The Temple Proper, part 2 (OIP 84; Chicago, 1963)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu VII, The Temple Proper, part 3 (OIP 93; Chicago, 1964)
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu VIII, The Eastern High Gate (OIP 94; Chicago, 1970)
• W. F. Edgerton, Medinet Habu Graffiti Facsimiles (OIP 36; Chicago, 1937)
• H. J. Thissen, Die demotischen Graffiti von Medinet Habu: Zeugnisse zu Tempel und Kult im Ptolemäischen Ägypten (Demotische Studien 10; Sommerhausen, 1989)

External link

• The Epigraphic Survey – The Oriental Institute, University of Chicago