Oct 22, 20205 min read

Temple of Madinet Habu

The magnificent complex at Medinet Habu dominated by the funerary temple of Ramses III is the best-preserved monument in the whole West Thebes area. It is the second only after the Karnak temple both in size and significance, is one of the least visited places in Thebes.

Built as the seat of power by Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses III, one of the greatest pharaohs of Egypt during the new kingdom, Medinet Habu resembled a fortified city, with temples, palaces, chapels, and residential neighborhoods intended for priests and officials. During the invasions of Egypt in the 20th dynasty, the entire population of Thebes (Luxor nowadays) took refuge within the massive walls of the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III.

You enter the temple through the fortified gate, a three-story building. On the upper floors were the king’s private residence, decorated with scenes that portray him entertained by slender dancers. Numerous military campaigns are recorded on the pylons and on the walls of the temple.

In the second courtyard, you can see multicolored reliefs depicting religious holidays, preserved thanks to the Christians who transformed the area into a church in the early Christianity in Egypt and covered the images that were considered offensive to them with a layer of plaster.

The temple was not in use during the third intermediate period while it became a cemetery for private, the small temple of Amon was enlarged by Kushite rulers once, and again during the Ptolemaic period. It takes almost 1 hour to inspect the whole temple, and you can visit the temple and many wonders of ancient Egypt through booking one of our Egypt Travel Packages, Egypt Nile Cruise Tours or Egypt Day Toursthrough these Tours in Egypt:

Temple of Madinet Habu

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