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Esna Temple
Esna, Qena, EgyptAbout
The major part of the original Temple of Khnum (Khnom) lies now beneath Esna's houses and a big part of its blocks where used as a construction material . The only surviving section from the temple is the Hypostyle Hall . This hall can be reached through the Nile Bank , by crossing the city's handicraft market and using a staircase (as it lies 9 meters deep) . The temple was begun in the reigns of Ptolemy VI Philometor and Ptolemy VIlI Euergetes II , and remained in use through the Roman Period . It was dedicated to the Triad of Khnum , Neith , and Hak . In 1840 , the temple was excavated by the Egyptian army , and was cleaned later by the Antiquities Service . It is unlikely that further excavations could be performed since these operations will require the evacuation of inhabitants from many houses and shops of the modern city . The Hypostyle Hall has eighteen columns that support a roof decorated with astronomical scenes vultures . On the temple's walls are depicted figures of rams and crocodiles representing Sobek and Khnum (also known as Khnom , Khonom and Khonoom) . Check and jowl are depictions of traditional scenes that represent the king dedicating the temple to god Khnum . On The well-preserved facade of Khnom Temple, decorated with six lotus-bundle pillars the columns , other scenes of presenting offerings to various Egyptian deities are gracefully and vividly drawn . To the right , appears an interesting scene of Commodus and Khnum in a papyrus thicket and pulling on a net full of fish and game birds . Isna is located about 33 miles south of Luxor. The town's Greek name was Latopolis and here fish (lates) where thought to embody the goddess Neith, who was sacred to the area. Isna was increasingly important during the 18th dynasty due to Egypt's developing relationship with the Sudan. There was a route established between Isna and Derr. Later, the city slowly declined until it received renewed interest during the 26th Dynasty. Later, under the Greeks and Romans, it became the capital of the Third Nome of Upper Egypt. We also know of an Isna about a hundred years ago from Flaubert, who later wrote Madame Bovary, was propositioned by a 'almeh' while aboard his boat. He went with her to the house of Kuchuk Hanem, where she danced (not so virtuously) the Bee. In other words, wild times could be found here. Mohammed Ali had band almeh (meaning learned women) from Cairo, so they had gathered to make their living in Qena, Isna and Aswan. But today, Isna is a somewhat sleepy if busy merchant and farming town, with a weaving industry, on the west bank of the Nile where the entertainment more resides in the Saturday animal market. On the covered market street, one may purchase fabric, or have the fabrics made into clothing. There are some fine old houses about with fine brickwork and mashrbiyya screens. There is also a barrage just outside of town which was built in 1906. About 4 miles southwest of town is the Deir Manaos Wa al-Shuhada (Monastery of the Three Thousand Six Hundred Martyrs), who's 10th century church is said to be one of the most beautiful in Upper Egypt. Perhaps this monastery is a lasting commemorative to Emperor Decius (249-51 AD) who degreed that all Christians would suffer death if they did not sacrifice to the pagan gods. His cartouche was the last to be carved on the walls of the Temple of Khnum in Isna. But the main attraction is the Temple of Khnum, which lies beneath the level of the houses in a pit. Most of the ruins of around the Temple and the old city are yet to be explored as they lay under these modern dwellings. This was not the first temple here, for during the reign of Thutmose III, a temple was built here that preceded it. There are blocks from an early Christian church in the forecourt of the temple, foretelling of a time when Isna was an important Christian center. Near the Temple of Khnum on the stone quay along the corniche are carved cartouches of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
