Temple of Amada

Temple of Amada. The Temple of Amada is one of the Oldest Egytpian Temples in Nubia, the Temple of Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II and is dedicated to the Gods Amun, and Ra Hor Akhti. The construction of the Temple began in the Modern State in the fifteenth Century BC, by King Tuthmosis III and was completed by his son Amenhotep II and then his grandson Thutmose IV. It is called the New Amada as the antiquities in it were moved from it’s original location approx.. 2,5 km away, during the campaign to save Nubia, it also includes the Amada Temple, al –Durr Temple and Banut Cemetery. Many parts of the Temple have been destroyed, however it still has many scenes and inscriptions still in very good condition, the most important being the scenes of Ramses II’s campaign on Nubia. The Temple was once used in the early Christian period to establish a Group of Monks. Approx. one hundred and ten miles South of the High Dam, the Temple of Amada is the Oldest of the Monuments which is around Lake Nasser. Dating from the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom, the Temple predates Ramesses II and Abu Simbel by approx.. Two Hundred Years, however as is usual of the Great Pharaoh of Egypt, Ramesses’s distinctions and that of his Son Merenptah can be found inside. The Temple which is small consists of a Hypostyle Hall of Twelve Pillars which lead into the Chapels which are dedicated to Amun-Re and Re-Harakhky behind it. The Pylon which once stood before this structure is no longer here. Despite it’s small size the Temple is fascinating because of the distinctive subject element of the Walls reliefs, which portray a victorious Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh returning from the conquest in Asia, including that of another account of of a victorious campaign in Libya. The reliefs are some of the best preserved throughtout Nubia and still retain most of their color. The reason for this is because the Nubia Christians plastered over them whilst they began using the Temple as a Church, so instead of destroying the Artwork the plaster actually preserved the Images.