Armant Attractions

2mi/3km west of Tod, on the left bank of the Nile, is the town of Armant, which has a large sugar factory. It occupies the site of the ancient Egyptian On, known as the "Upper Egyptian On" to distinguish it from Heliopolis-On and also as Per-mont ("House of Month"), after the falcon headed war god Month who was particularly venerated here. From Per-mont came the Greek name of Hermonthis. This is believed to have been the place of origin of the 11th Dynasty. In Roman Imperial times On was the chief town of a nome. 1.5mi/2km northeast are the scanty remains of a temple built in the early 11th Dynasty and altered and extended by Nectanebo II and the Ptolemies, in particular Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV Caesarion, which continued in use into Roman times. Stones from the temple, much of which was still standing in the 19th C., were used in the construction of the sugar factory and the quay along the river front.