Saved from the Murky Depths: The Temples at New Sebua

The blog post for this week has been written by Linda Anderson. Linda is a retired research biochemist and science teacher. She first became interested in Ancient Egypt in 1992 following a trip from Cyprus to Cairo. After a further visit to Egypt in 1998, her sister Merlys became a volunteer at Swansea’s newly opened Egypt Centre, which further fuelled their romance with all things ancient Egyptian and subsequently several more excursions to Egypt as a family. One of the trips involved a week on Lake Nasser visiting the various rescued temples. This trip was so good that Merlys and Linda went back for another look in 2009. Linda now holds a Certificate in Egyptology and is a regular attendee of courses and lectures hosted by the Egypt Centre.

The construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s resulted in the formation of Lake Nasser, which would have submerged many of the temples near the banks of (or on islands in) the course of the Nile. Fortunately, many of the threatened temples were dismantled and relocated to higher elevations thanks to a coordinated international effort by UNESCO. Not all were lucky, however, as there were many Egyptian temples built in this area of Nubia and sadly many disappeared under the waters of the lake, lost forever.

Whilst most of the Nubian temples are of traditional Egyptian design, some incorporate the more exotic features of the region and honour deities not usually seen in other areas of Egypt. In this blog, we will travel 85 miles south of the Aswan Dam to the site of New Sebua to visit three temples relocated there. These are the temples of Wadi es-Sebua (fig. 1), the Temple of Dakka, and the Temple of Maharraqa. Three temples from three different eras, not originally together, but now within walking distance from each other in this lonely area of the Sahara Desert.

Fig. 1: Wadi es-Sebua

The Temple of Wadi es-Sebua

Wadi es-Sebua was built in the reign of the Nineteenth Dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II and dedicated to Amun-Re, Re Horakhty, and the deified Ramesses. The temple was originally situated 4km further east. The pylons and courts are (or were) free-standing whilst the twelve-pillared hypostyle hall and sanctuary are a form of speos and are cut into the surrounding rock (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Plan of Wadi es-Sebua

The temple originally had three pylons, (only the third remains), plus three courts in addition to a rock-cut hypostyle hall and inner sanctuary, which has four side chapels. The trip to Wadi es-Sebua can only be done by boat. On approaching the temple from the boat, we first encounter an avenue of leonine sphinxes. Hence the name given by the locals, Wadi es-Sebua - The Valley of the Lions. These consist of human-headed sphinxes of the pharaoh and formed the first court (fig. 3). The second court features four falcon-headed sphinxes representing four different forms of Horus; namely Horus of Maha, Miam, Baki, and Edfu.

Fig. 3: Sphinx of Ramesses II

Onto the third and surviving pylon, which was originally fronted by four colossi of the pharaoh. Only one remains in situ, which features the pharaoh with his daughter Bint-Anath. One other lies a short distance away alone in the desert (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Fallen statue of Ramesses II

The surviving pylon is decorated in the conventional way with Ramesses smiting his enemies and making offerings to the gods. Passing through the pylon we reach an open colonnaded court with ten Osirid pillars of the pharoah decorated with various processions of princes and princesses and further offering scenes.

Ascending a ramp, we enter the rock-cut part of the temple (fig. 5). This was used as a Christian church at one point and had, until it was restored, a double doorway with arches. The twelve pillars of the hypostyle hall were adorned with even more statues of the pharoah but were chiselled off by the Christians. However, in some respects they did us a favour, as by plastering over the decoration, the offering scenes remain and have retained their colour both here and in a vestibule with two side chapels. The vestibule then gives access to the richly decorated inner sanctuary flanked by a further two chapels.

Fig. 5: The entrance to the temple

It seems the nearer you get to the sanctuary we lose the smiting scenes and family processions and gain more worshipping and offerings to the gods scenes (fig. 6). In addition, we see depictions of the sacred barques of Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty (fig. 7).

Fig. 6: Ramesses offering to the gods

Fig. 7: The sacred barque

 

In the inner sanctuary is the traditional central niche where the statues of the gods reside. These were hacked away and replaced with an image of Saint Peter wearing a halo and holding the key to Heaven. A bizarre sight indeed as here the pharaoh seems to be offering flowers to the saint (fig. 8)!

Fig. 8: Ramesses offering to St. Peter

 

This photo doesn’t do it justice, but a colour reproduction painting exists, which was actually once used as an image for a stamp issued by the Vatican (fig. 9)!

Fig. 9: Vatican stamp (https://www.stampcommunity.org/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=79712&whichpage=3)

 

The Temple of Dakka

Only a short walk (or camel ride) from the above temple, on a small hill, can be found an unlikely neighbour, the Ptolemaic temple of Dakka (fig. 10). Originally situated 40km further south at the ancient city of Pselkis, it was built in the third century BC by the Kushite king Arkamani or Eurgamenes. Dedicated to Thoth of Pnubs (an unidentified Nubian city translated as ‘Sycamore tree’), it was decorated by the Ptolemies but enlarged in Roman times by the addition of a 12m pylon separated from the rest of the buildings. Its innermost sanctuary was also refurbished in the age of the emperor Augustus.

Fig. 10: Dakka Temple

 

Throughout the temple the Ptolemies are depicted worshipping many of the Egyptian gods. Interestingly, when the temple was moved several reused blocks were found from an earlier temple dedicated to Horus of Baki (Quban) by Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.

Fig. 11: Offering to the gods

 

The Temple of Maharraqa

 

At a lower elevation to the temple of Dakka stands the small temple of Maharraqa (fig. 12), usually visited on the way back to pick up the tender to return to your boat. It was originally located 50km further north near the Graeco-Roman city of Hierasykaminos, ‘the place of the sacred sycamore tree’. The temple was built in the time of Augustus and dedicated to Serapis, (a mixture of the gods Osiris, Apis, Isis, and the Greek god Zeus). However, it was never finished. It contains a spiral staircase, the only example attested in ancient Egypt. Sadly, the temple is almost completely devoid of wall decoration. Importantly the temple was located at the extreme southern frontier of Roman Egypt. It was converted into a Christian church in the sixth century CE.

Fig. 12: Maharraqa Temples

Although not originally located together, these three temples are well worth a visit on your way to Abu Simbel, (go by boat, not plane!) and represent a combined span of over 1200 years of ancient Egyptian temple design and decoration. Additionally, from an aesthetic point of view, they form a lovely setting against the backdrop of the lonely Sahara Desert (fig. 13).

Fig. 13: Camel ride at Wadi es-Sebua

Bibliography

Oakes, L. (2014) Pyramids, temples and tombs of ancient Egypt. London: Hermes House, Anness Publishing Ltd.

Shafer, Byron E. (ed.) 1997. Temples of ancient Egypt. Ithaca NY; London: Cornell University Press; I.B. Tauris.

Siliotti, Alberto 2000. Abu Simbel and the Nubian temples. Egypt Pocket Guide. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press. 

Wilkinson, Richard H. 2000. The complete temples of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames & Hudson.