On Location - Madinet Habu, Luxor, Egypt

In ancient times Madinat Habu was known as Djanet and according to ancient belief was the place were Amun first appeared. After Pharaoh Ramses III had taken the throne and began to rule, he started constructing the temple which was completed in 1156 BC. The temple was built to defend against neighbouring enemy tribes.

In the 3rd century BC., the Ptolemies completed the main facade of the Temple of Amun. Also, they made an ornament in the form of a winged solar disk. Ancient Egyptians obtained the funds for constructing the temple through the numerous campaigns of Ramses. He was considered an outstanding military leader who could create excellent strategies, thanks to which ancients built quickly enough Medinet Habu.

First Pylon

The first tower has many decorations showing Ramses III. You can see images and inscriptions about the campaigns of the pharaoh and his battles with enemies. At the same time, you will see depictions of his victories and defeats. There are unique slots for flags on two towers. On the tower located to the north, the ruler shows up in a red crown and stands in front of Ra-Kharhat. The ruler appears in a traditional pose, holding his enemies one step away from death. He grabs them by their hair and strikes them with his mace.

However, on the southern tower, the pharaoh in a white crown destroys his captives in front of Amon-Ra. These two gods lead entire groups of prisoners forward. The Ancient artists depicted the lands of captured armies in round forts. Also, they inscribed the names of the cities of these enemies and crowned them with captured prisoners.

Second Pylon

The second tower leads further into the second courtyard; there are four more entrances. Later, earlier Christians converted this courtyard into a church. Since Christians covered all pagan paintings with lime, the images have been preserved in good condition.

From one side and the other side of the courtyard, one can contemplate fantastic procedural scenes. On the walls located on the right side, the paints describe the Great Festival of God Min. Nevertheless, the walls on the left show the Ptah Sokaris Festival scene. On these walls, the Ancient Egyptians depicted fascinating reliefs. In the first scene – Ramses attacks the Libyans. This ruler shoots arrows from a bow, and the enemies scatter in all directions. The second scene shows Ramses returning from a battle with three prisoners he shackled and tied to himself. Also, the scene indicates that two porters follow him. In the third scene – Pharaoh leads his captives to Amon and Mut.

Hypostyle Hall

Behind this courtyard is a large hypostyle hall, filled with columns in 6 rows. The builders originally covered it with a vast roof; they supported 24 columns. These columns stand in four rows of six columns, with a double row of central and thicker columns than the others. Shown here are images of the pharaoh with deities. All sides of the hall have passages to other rooms. Ancient Egyptians kept expensive things in the rooms on the left side, musical instruments and jewellery. If you go further, then there are two more halls of columns, and next to them are chambers with sanctuaries.

Walls

The Ancient Egyptian painters decorated the walls of this castle with a large number of reliefs. These reliefs show scenes of battles with enemies and are dedicated to the wars of that time. However, at the back of the temple, reliefs depict the fight of Ramses with the Nubians. On the northern part of the wall, ten scenes show the wars against the Libyans and the victory over the Sea People. On the south side of the border, there is the festival calendar. This calendar includes lists of sacrifices dating back to the reign of Ramses III.