On Location - Esna, Egypt
Esna is a city of Egypt located on the west bank of the Nile some 55 km (34 mi) south of Luxor. From an archaeological perspective it is most well known for the Temple of Khnum which today sits in a 9m deep pit representing the 15 centuries of desert sand and debris that accumulated since it was abandoned during the Roman period. After visiting the temple I took the opportunity to wander around the local streets of Esna with an opportunity to meet and share time with the locals both young and old.
Esna Temple would once have been built to a plan similar to the temple at Edfu but all that now remains is the hypostyle hall which was built by the Roman Emperor Claudius. The oldest part of the structure seen today is the west (back) wall which would have been the facade of the original temple, depicting the releifs of Ptolomy VI and VIII. The part of the temple that we see today is around a quarter of the size of the original building.
Tuthmosis III laid the foundations of the Temple in the 18th Dynasty, but Ptolemaic and Roman Emperors completed it between 40 to 250 A.D., and their names are recorded all over the temple walls. Dedicated to the god Khnum, his consorts Menhit and Nebtu, their son, Heka, and the goddess Neith, the temple is remarkable for the beauty of its site and the magnificence of its architecture. The temple contains very late hieroglyphic inscription, dating from the reign of Decius (249–251 AD). The Temple of Esna conveys a sense of the importance which the Ancient Egyptians placed upon their places of worship.
Built of red sandstone, its portico consists of 6 rows of 4 columns each, with palm leaves, lotus buds, and papyrus fans all of which differ from each other. Most of the temple is still covered and all that can be seen today is the hypostyle hall that was excavated in the 1940’s. Dedicated to Khnum, the ram headed creator god, who fashioned humankind on his potter’s wheel using Nile clay.
The central doorway leads into the dark atmospheric vestibule, where the roof is supported by 18 floral capitals upon their columns. The roof itself is decorated with astronomical scenes, whilst the pillars are covered with hieroglyphic accounts of the temple rituals. The Temple of Esna conveys a sense of importance which the ancient Egyptians placed upon their places of worship. All Egyptians who entered the confines of an Egyptian temple were required "to comply with the strict rules regarding ritual purity." According to inscriptions carved on the walls of the Temple of Esna, those who entered this temple were expected to fastidiously cut their fingernails and toenails, remove other body hair, wash their hands with natron (a natural occurring salt), "be dressed in linen (they were forbidden from wearing wool), and not to have had sexual intercourse for several days.
