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.