Medinet Habu
Often passed over by tours and guidebooks, Medinet Habu is a great place for an afternoon visit. The complex seems to have been started by Hatshepsut in the 15th century B.C., but it was vastly expanded about 3 centuries later by Ramses III. Over the millennia it was used for various purposes, and during the Ptolemaic period, the village of Djeme was built within the walls (hence the medinet, or "town," in the site's modern name), and for a while the room that precedes the hypostyle hall was used as a Christian church.
There are gory illustrations on the outer walls of Ramses III killing his enemies and subjugating their lands, but these become more religious as you progress inside. The columns of the inner hypostyle hall have unfortunately been reduced to stumps, but the vestibule and sanctuary farther in are worth a wander through. The reason that you should visit in the afternoon will become evident as the sun begins to set and the evening draws in on the surrounding village of Kom Lolah. Take a deep breath and let the calm settle into you before heading back to the hustle of the town.
Often passed over by tours and guidebooks, Medinet Habu is a great place for an afternoon visit. The complex seems to have been started by Hatshepsut in the 15th century B.C., but it was vastly expanded about 3 centuries later by Ramses III. Over the millennia it was used for various purposes, and during the Ptolemaic period, the village of Djeme was built within the walls (hence the medinet, or "town," in the site's modern name), and for a while the room that precedes the hypostyle hall was used as a Christian church.
There are gory illustrations on the outer walls of Ramses III killing his enemies and subjugating their lands, but these become more religious as you progress inside. The columns of the inner hypostyle hall have unfortunately been reduced to stumps, but the vestibule and sanctuary farther in are worth a wander through. The reason that you should visit in the afternoon will become evident as the sun begins to set and the evening draws in on the surrounding village of Kom Lolah. Take a deep breath and let the calm settle into you before heading back to the hustle of the town.
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