Medinet Habu - Temple of Ramesses III

The main temple, the Temple of Ramesses III, was built exactly on the model of the Ramesseum and, like the Ramesseum, was dedicated to Amun. On the front of both towers of the large First Pylon are reliefs celebrating the King's military successes. On the right hand tower he is depicted, in the presence of Amun Re-Harakhty, grasping his enemies by the hair and smiting them with his club, while the falcon headed god presents him with the curved sword of victory and leads in on a cord the conquered lands, represented in the usual way by their names enclosed within a circle of walls; below, two other rows of vanquished peoples; farther left, between two grooves for flag staffs, a similar but much smaller scene and, below it, a long inscription celebrating in bombastic terms the King's victory over the Libyans in the 11th year of his reign. At the foot, on the left, is the seated figure of Amun, with Ptah behind him inscribing the years of the King's reign on a palm branch; the King kneeling before Amun under the sacred tree and receiving from him the symbols for a long reign, suspended from a palm branch; Thoth inscribing the King's name on the leaves of the tree, with the goddess Seshat standing beside him. To the right of the doorway, below, is a door shaped stela dated in the 12th year of Ramesses lll's reign recording the gifts made to Ptah copied fromthe inscription by Ramesses II atabu Simbel. On the left hand tower are similar scenes, depicting Ramesses III in the presence of Amun-Re.

Through the central doorway (on both inner and outer walls, reliefs of the King worshiping various gods) we enter the First Court, which is roughly square, measuring 115ft/35m each way. The reliefs on the rear side of the first pylon relate to the Libyan War: to the south (on the left when entering) a battle, in which the Egyptians are supported by mercenaries from the Shardana tribe (Sardinians), distinguished by their round helmets with horns; to the north, prisoners marshaled before the King and an inscription. The court is flanked on the right and left by covered colonnades. The roof of the right hand colonnade is supported on seven square pillars, against which stand colossal Osiris figures of the King. The left hand colonnade has eight papyrus columns with open capitals. This colonnade was the facade of the royal palace which adjoined the south side of the temple and communicated with the first court by three doors and a large balcony window. To the right and left of the window the King is depicted smiting his foes, standing on a bracket formed of their heads. Below the window are scenes of dancing, singing and jubilation, representing the crowds who would greet the King's appearance on the balcony. On the rear walls of both colonnades there are further reliefs depicting the King's battles and victories and the prisoners captured; on the end walls he is seen (depicted on a large scale) on his way to the festival of Amun, attended by fan bearers.

In the spacious Forecourt between the High Gate (on the rear side of which are reliefs of the King in various postures as the vanquisher of his enemies) and the main temple is a small gateway built by Nectanebo I.

Beyond the second court only the lower parts of the walls and columns are preserved. We come first into the Great Hypostyle Hall, the roof of which was supported by four rows of six columns, the central columns being considerably higher than those on either side. Oh the walls the King is depicted in the presence of various gods (note particularly the magnificent gold vessels he presents to Amun, Mut and Khons on the south wall). Beyond this are three smaller chambers, the first two with two rows of four columns, the third with four pillars. The only features of any interest are two statues of red granite in the second chamber, one (on the left) of Amun and Maat, the other (on the right) the King and the ibis headed Thoth. The other chambers to the rear of the temple were dedicated to various gods; those to the left of the pillared chamber to Osiris (including one with a vaulted roof decorated with astronomical representations). There were other rooms on the upper floor, reached by a staircase from the first of the three chambers to the rear of the hypostyle hall.

On either side of the hypostyle hall are a series of small rooms. Those on the left hand side were evidently used for storing the temple treasures, as the scenes on the walls indicate. 1: the King presents to Amun papyrus holders borne by royal lions or kneeling figures of the King. 2: the King presenting to Amun costly vessels and boxes with lids in the form of sphinxes, rams and the heads of rams, falcons and the King himself. 3: the King presenting bags of precious stones to Amun. 4: the King making offerings of costly table ornaments, jewelry and piles of gold, silver and lead. 5: the King offering great heaps of gold and other precious metals. In rooms 6-11 the King is depicted making offerings to various gods. In the second last room on the right (No. 10) is a colossal statue (headless) of Ptah, in alabaster, dating from the reign of Amenophis Ill.

To the right of the Forecourt is the 18th Dynasty temple, to the left the Mortuary Temple of Amenirdis, a Princess who was the ecclesiastical ruler of Thebes under the last Ethiopian kings and Psammetichus I. On the doorway (left and right, above) Amenirdis is depicted making an offering to Amun; below she is seen (left) before Amun and Mut, holding two sistra, and (right) making an offering to a goddess. From the forecourt, which had a colonnade supported by two columns on either side, we enter the vaulted sanctuary, which is surrounded by a corridor. To the right are three chapels, dedicated respectively to Nitocris (daughter of Psammetichus I), Shepenwepet (daughter of the Ethiopian King Piankhi) and Mehtwesekhet (wife of Psammetichus I). Under the last chapel is a crypt (visible through the broken floor) covered with inscriptions.

First Pylon, above, the King storming a Hittite fortress; below, a battle with the Libyans; the King alighting from his chariot and binding two captured Syrians.

The north wall continues the record of the Libyan War and celebrates a victory over the northern peoples in ten scenes at the west end, followed by five scenes devoted to the Syrian Wars.

West end of north wall. 1: the King's departure for the war, with a lion beside his chariot; in another chariot in front is the standard of Amun-Re with a ram's head. 2: a battle with the Libyans. 3: the King addressing his troops, in five rows, with Libyan prisoners; the severed hands, etc., are counted (the total is given as 12,535). 4: the King watches the mustering of troops from the palace balcony; standards are brought out and weapons distributed. 5: the King departing for Syria, preceded by soldiers with lances and below bows; below, Shardana mercenaries. 6: battle with the northern peoples in Palestine; the King in his chariot launching arrows at the enemy, identifiable as Zakari by their curious caps; children sitting in oxcarts. 7: the King hunting lions; in the thicket a wounded lion, with another dying under the horse's feet; below, a parade of Egyptian troops and mercenaries. 8 (seen properly only in slanting light): Naval battle with the northern peoples, whose fleet is annihilated at one of the mouths of the Nile; from the shore the King shoots arrows at the enemy; below, one of the enemy ships has capsized; the Egyptian ships are distinguishable by the lions' heads on their prows (one vessel with many oarsmen below, right contains Zakari prisoners); bottom row, other prisoners being marched away; the King trampling on prisoners, in front of him archers, hovering above him the goddess of Lower Egypt in the form of a vulture. 9: the King, on the palace balcony, receiving dignitaries who bring in the Zakari prisoners; bottom row, the severed hands being counted; left, the royal chariot; above, the "castle of Ramesses", perhaps the Palace of Medinet Habu. 10: the King conducting two rows of prisoners (above Zakari, below Libyans) into the presence of the gods of Thebes (Amun, Mut and Khons).

East end of north wall (first court), upper row (left to right). 1: the King storming a Syrian fortress. 2: the King, having alighted from his chariot after the victory, pierces a Syrian with his lance. 3: the King receiving the prisoners. 4: the King presenting the prisoners to Amun and Khons, together with costly vessels. Lower row (left to right): the King in his chariot attacking a Libyan stronghold, bringing in Libyan prisoners; receiving three rows of prisoners brought in by officers; returning home with prisoners and being greeted by dignitaries; and presenting the captured Libyans to Amun and Mut.

The west wall has scenes from a war with the Kushites (Negroes) and the beginning of the series on the Libyan War. South end of wall: the King in battle; triumphal procession with captured Kushites; presentation of prisoners to Amun. North end of wall (Libyan War): the King in the presence of Amun and Khons, with Thoth behind him; the King with the falcon headed Month behind him and four priests carrying divine images on poles in front of him; the King in his chariot, accompanied by his bodyguard.

On the south side of the temple are the remains of the Royal Palace. In the throne room can be seen the dais for the throne, with three shallow steps leading up to it. The roof of the throne room was borne on two columns and two pillars engaged in the rear wall (built of brick). To the left is a second dais, to the right a large bathroom. In a room to the west (perhaps the Queen's throne room) is a third dais; adjoining is a room for ablutions. To the west of the palace is a well, with steps leading down to it. At the sides of the steps are reliefs of the Nile gods dispensing water, Thoth and Horus sprinkling Ramesses III with water, and the King before Khons-Neferhotep.

At the northeast corner of the temple precinct lies the Sacred Lake, 60ft/18m square, with two flights of steps. Some 45yd/40m northwest of the lake is a Nilometer. A doorway inscribed with the name of Nectanebo I leads into a room beyond which is a corridor with a staircase descending to a depth of 65ft/20m. Between the 18th Dynasty temple and the Nilometer is a small gateway with inscriptions in the name of the Emperor Domitian. It was rebuilt here, the original site is unknown, from stones which had been reused in a Coptic building.

The Second Court, which is similar in layout and to some extent in decoration to the second court of the Ramesseum, but is better preserved, is 125ft/38m long by 138ft/42m wide. It is surrounded on all four sides by colonnades. Those on the north and south sides have columns with closed capitals; the one on the east side has pillars with Osiris figures; and the one on the west side, forming a raised terrace, has eight Osiris pillars in front and eight columns to the rear. On both the columns and the pillars the King is depicted making offerings to various gods. In Christian times the court was converted into a church, but most of the remains of this have been removed. On the walls of the colonnades are reliefs depicting events in Ramesses's life, in particular great festivals and military exploits.

North Colonnade and adjoining part of East Colonnade, rear wall, above: the festival of the harvest god Min, which was celebrated as a coronation festival. 1: the King being borne out of the palace on a richly decorated litter under a canopy which is carried by Princes (names missing); he is followed by courtiers and preceded by priests bearing censers, a lector priest and soldiers, each wearing two feathers on their heads (note in the upper row trumpeters and drummers, in the lower row men with castanets). 2: the King making offerings and burning incense before the image of Min. 3 (continued on east wall): the festival procession; the image of Min is carried on a litter by priests, flanked by fan-bearers and followed by priests carrying shrines; in front is the King, who is preceded by a white bull (the god's sacred animal), the Queen and a long train of priests carrying standards, temple utensils and images of the King and his predecessors; on the right, the King awaiting the procession, with two emblems in front of him; priests release four carrier pigeons. 4: the King cuts with a sickle the sheaf presented to him by a priest (as in the Ramesseum); the lector priest recites a hymn to Min, while another priest presents the sheaf to the god; the Queen, above, looks on; the white bull in front of the King, below it a series of images of the royal ancestors. 5: the King offers incense to Min, standing under a canopy.

The lower rows are of less interest. 1: the King making offerings to the sacred barques of Khons, Mut and Amun. 2: the barques are borne out of the temple by priests, while the King, behind a fourth barque, advances to meet them.

South end of East Colonnade and South Colonnade, above: scenes from the festival of Ptah-Sokar. 6: procession of priests carrying sacred barques, images of gods, standards and temple utensils; behind them the King and dignitaries. 7 (on south wall): the sacred emblem of the god Nefertum (son of Ptah) borne by 18 priests. 8: the King holding a cord which is pulled by 16 high dignitaries; in front of the King two priests burning incense. 9: the barque of Sokar carried by 16 priests, followed by the King. 10: the King making offerings to the sacred barque of Sokar; the King before the ram headed Khnum and two other gods and before the falcon headed Sokar-Osiris, to whom he presents a platter with bread. Below are military scenes. 6 (right to left): the King and other charioteers dashing against the Libyans and slaying them with his arrows; foot soldiers fighting in wild confusion; the King returning from the battle in his chariot, with three rows of fettered Libyan captives in front of him and two fan bearers behind him; the King presenting the Libyan prisoners to Amun and Mut. 7 (on south wall): the King seated in his chariot, with his back to the horses, receiving Libyan prisoners (with light red skin) brought in by the Princes and other dignitaries in four rows; the severed hands and phalluses of the slain being counted. Most of the wall is occupied by a 75-line inscription celebrating the victorious war.

The rear wall of the West Colonnade, on the terrace, has three rows of reliefs: in the two upper rows, Ramesses lll in the presence of various deities; bottom row, Princes and Princesses (as in the corresponding position in the Ramesseum; names added later by Ramesses VI).

The inscriptions and reliefs on the Second Pylon are of greater interest. On the right hand tower is a long inscription celebrating the King's victory, in the eighth year of his reign, over a league of Mediterranean peoples who menaced Egypt by sea and by land from Syria. On the left hand tower the King is seen leading into the presence of Amun and Mut three rows of prisoners, representing the peoples conquered in this campaign. They are depicted as beardless, wearing curious caps adorned with feathers and loincloths with tassels, hanging down in a point in front. The inscription indicates that they are Danawa (Danai) and Peleste (Philistines). A ramp leads up to the granite gateway of the pylon.

Finally there is a series of interesting reliefs, mainly devoted to Ramesses III's military exploits, on the outer walls of the temple. South wall, at the first pylon: fine hunting scenes; above, the King hunting mountain goats and wild asses; below, the King and his retinue hunting wild bulls in a marshy area abounding in fish and waterfowl. West end of wall: a long festival calendar, listing the appointed sacrifices from the 16th day of the month of Pakhon (the day of Ramesses III's accession) to the 19th day of the month of Tybi. Below is a procession of priests carrying loaves and other food. To right and left of the palace balcony (which is approached by a flight of steps) the King is depicted slaying enemy prisoners. In the embrasure of the window the King and his retinue are seen approaching the balcony.