Esna: The Temple of Khnum and the Sacred City on the Nile
Esna is an ancient city of Upper Egypt, which is most neglected yet impressive. It is situated to the south of Luxor on the Nile and is most renowned due to the Temple of Khnum which is a monument which retains a portion of the finest late Egyptian inscriptions and astronomical ceilings. Although Karnak or Philae are the places where many tourists have their sightseeing, Esna provides a less congested though no less insightful perspective into ancient Egyptian religion and city life.
In antiquity, Esna was called Iunyt or Ta-Senet and later became known in Greek as Latopolis. Its religious identity centered on Khnum, the ram-headed creator god associated with the Nile’s source and the shaping of human life on a potter’s wheel.
An imaginary image of Esna city
Latopolis
This city of Latopolis in the Thebaid of Upper Egypt should not be confused with the more northerly city of Letopolis, ancient Khem, modern Ausim, in the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt.
Where Is Esna Located?
Esna is a city in Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile some 55 km south of Luxor. The city was formerly part of the modern Qena Governorate, but as of 9 December 2009, it was incorporated into the new Luxor Governorate.
Its position along the Nile made it an important regional hub. Trade ships sailed by transporting Lower Egypt, at the south, and Thebes, to the north, with Nubia.
The Esna Lock is another modern engineering structure that nowadays controls the river traffic in Esna. But within the modern town is a place which represents more than two millennia of religious observance.
Ancient city of Esna
The name “Latopolis” is in honor of the Nile perch, Lates niloticus, the largest of the 52 species which inhabit the Nile, which was abundant in these stretches of the river in ancient times, and which appears in sculptures, among the symbols of the goddess Neith, associated by the ancient Greeks as Pallas-Athene, surrounded by the oval shield or ring indicative of royalty or divinity. Held sacred, the Lates niloticus was buried in a cemetery west of the town.
The beauty of the site and the splendor of its architecture made the temple of Esna to the god Khnum, his consorts Menhit and Nebtu, his son Heka, and the goddess Neith, very remarkable. It was composed of red sandstone, and its portico was composed of six rows of four columns, each containing lotus-leaf capitals all of which however are different. A very late hieroglyphic inscription, that of the reign of Decius (249251 AD), can be found in the temple.
The other temple of the same date has been located in Kom Mer, some 12 km to the south, but it is impossible to excavate it due to the existence of a modern village over it.
There was a smaller temple, dedicated to the triad of Latopolis, about two and a half miles north of the city, at a village now called el-Dayr. Here, too, is a small zodiac of the age of Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221 BC). The latter was later destroyed in the 19 th century, because it was located in a path of a new canal. When Vivant Denon visited the temple of Esna to clear it of the earth and rubbish that had accumulated in it, it was used as a cotton warehouse mid-19 th century.
Except for the jamb of a gateway—now converted into a door-sill—of the reign of Thutmose II (Eighteenth Dynasty), the remains of Latopolis belong to the Ptolemaic or Roman eras. Ptolemy III Euergetes, the restorer of so many temples in Upper Egypt, was a benefactor to Latopolis, and he is depicted upon the walls of its temple followed by a tame lion, and in the act of striking down the chiefs of his enemies.
The name of Ptolemy V Epiphanes is also found inscribed upon a doorway. Although the scale of the ruins is impressive, their sculptures and hieroglyphics attest to the decline of Egyptian art. The west wall features reliefs of Ptolemy VI Philometor and Ptolemy VIII Physcon.
The pronaos, which alone exists, resembles in style that of Apollonopolis Magna (Edfu), and was begun not earlier than the reign of Claudius (41–54 AD), and completed in that of Vespasian, whose name and titles are carved on the dedicatory inscription over the entrance. On the ceiling of the pronaos is the larger Latopolitan Zodiac.
The name of the emperor Geta, the last ruler that can be read in hieroglyphics, although partially erased by his brother and murderer Caracalla (212), is still legible on the walls of Latopolis. Before raising their own edifice, the Romans seem to have destroyed even the basements of the earlier Egyptian temple. The ceremonial way, which probably linked the quay to the temple, has disappeared. The quay bears cartouches of Marcus Aurelius.
The Temple of Khnum
The temple of Khnum at Esna
Temple of Esna is the city’s most famous surviving monument. Dedicated primarily to Khnum, the temple dates largely to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
The Temple of Esna is partially situated underground compared to many temples in Egypt which lie in open desert sceneries because of the amount of debris over the centuries deposited over the area. The visitors are led down steps to the hypostyle hall, which gives the feeling of coming back to the past dramatically.
In spite of the fact that the great majority of the original temple complex has been lost the hall that survived is highly decorated with reliefs and inscriptions which give a great amount of historical information.
Who Was Khnum
Khnum was one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon.He was described as a god of creation, fertility and the Nile who had a ram’s head.
Mythically, Khnum created men on a potter’s wheel using clay removed from the banks of the Nile. He was considered to have controlled the annual flooding of the Nile which provided the life and sustenance of the Egyptian people.
In Esna, Khnum was worshiped alongside his consort Neith and their son Heka. The temple inscriptions emphasize his role as both creator and sustainer.
Medieval heritage city
Esna enjoys a rich heritage in its unique social structure; the city center is subdivided into spatial domains inhabited by deeply-rooted Esna families, and its traditional crafts, many on the verge of extinction, have been a tradition since the medieval era. There are other monuments and buildings of historic significance in Esna from various eras such as Wekalet Al-Geddawy, a caravanserai from the Ottoman era, established in the 18th century by the ruler Hassan El-Geddawy and named after him.
It is one of three caravanserais in the south of Egypt, and it is the only one that still maintains its unique original design. The Wekala was one of the most important trade centers in southern Egypt in the 18th century, with traders from all over Africa coming through the western desert and the Red Sea, and it stands as a testament to the strength of trade and the strategic position of Esna as a trade center at the time. The building was historically used for the sale of slaves, animals, crops and crafts.
The historic market is one of a few still-standing markets in the south of Egypt and is significant for its place in Esna’s local life. Products sold in the market include home supplies, local crafts and bridal needs.
El-Amry Minaret, built in 1081 by Sa’d al-Dawla al-Qawwasi, is the only remaining part of the historic mosque with the same name which was torn down and rebuilt in the 1960s in a modern style. The mosque was established between the years 474 and 476 hijri (1081 to 1084 AD) by Badr El Deen Gamaly and it was the first to be built in Esna in the Fatimid Era. The oil press has belonged to the family of Bakour for over 200 years and it is the only oil press still standing in Esna.
The Martyrs’ Monastery was established in the 6th century. The monastery is significant for Christians since it was established by Saint Helena after a battle between the Romans and Coptic Egyptians which led to the death of 3600 martyrs during the age of Christian persecution in Egypt. The battle was led by the Roman emperor Diocletian who started an attack against Christians in Egypt.
On the day of the Martyrs’ Massacre, an attack was started that caused the Bishop of the city of Esna, Father Ammonius, to flee with the whole Christian population to the monastery to hide there from the troops of the emperor however they were later found there and killed. The monastery is visited by thousands of Egyptians every year.
Al-Qisariyya Market
The public open space located between Khnum Temple and al-‘Amriyya Minaret functioned as Esna’s main square. Historic photos of Esna depict this area as the city’s main marketplace. Wekalet Al-Geddawy caravanserai, one of the city’s main trading buildings, is on this square as well. To the north and south of the square, al-Qīsāriyya Street extended parallel to the Nile River for a distance of almost 1.5 km. The street is named after Esna’s renowned al-Qīsāriyya Market.
Qīsāriyyas are an urban market typology that is believed to have existed since Roman times; possibly since the age of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar (63 B.C.–14 A.D.) They consist of a long and narrow covered street, and sometimes a network of streets, that exist in the heart of a city. The street is surrounded by two- and three-story buildings on both sides; shops and workshops are on the ground floor directly opening to the street. The upper floors include living quarters, sometimes for traders visiting the city. Wakālas (caravanserais) exist along or close to this street. Such street markets are known for traditional goods such as textiles, spices, and traditional clothing.
Qīsāriyyas exist in many Upper Egyptian cities such as Asyut, Suhaj, Qena and Esna; and they continue to function as popular local markets. Al-Qīsāriyya Market in Esna is one of the city’s main attractions, not only for tourists but to a greater extent, for residents of Esna and its surrounding villages. It plays a regional trade function as the hub for many commercial activities. It includes different trades and goods such as textiles, clothing, housewares, haberdashery, tailoring, upholstery, etc. Hence, it is a major destination for families preparing for marriage and new brides.
Esna’s Qīsāriyya Market consists of two main parts. The northern part starts from Wekalet Al-Geddawy, passing by the Church of Mother Dūlāji, and heading northward. It gets busier in its northern edge, covered with modern elements, since it is close to Esna’s public transportation hub. Along this part of the street, many architecturally significant buildings dating back to the turn of the twentieth century exist.
It also includes, tucked in a small alleyway, the façade of Bayt al-Shabrāwī, built in 1874 with its intricate decorative fired brick and woodwork. On Saturdays, the northern part of al-Qīsāriyya is even more lively since it merges with Esna’s weekly Saturday Market, famous for local food and for clay tableware.
an imaginary image of Al-Qisariyya Market
The southern part starts from the south side of the Khnum Temple. This part is quieter. It still maintains its traditional wooden cover and is surrounded by mud brick buildings with traditional features, such as colourful wooden doors. This covered part of the market extends for a distance of almost 130 m (425 feet) from the Khnum Temple area to many of Esna’s attractions such as the traditional Bakkūr Oil Press, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and many of the city’s architecturally significant buildings.
There are more than 120 local shops, mostly traditional tailors making garments such as jalābiyyas, and selling textiles including women’s traditional fabrics and shawls indigenous to Esna such as al-Ḥabra, al-Farkha and al-Nishra. This southern part of al-Qīsāriyya Market still includes the remains of a traditional wakāla, accessed through one of the textile shops. The market’s traditional wooden cover in addition to its direction from north to south provides a cool breeze.
Modern Esna
At the Nile is a crossing of two barrage bridges, the one constructed in 1906 by the British, and the other constructed in the 1990s by the so-called Electricity Bridge. Ships especially Nile cruisers that carry tourists between Luxor and Aswan 155 km upstream may take hours of negotiations with the lock system.
The two places of interest in Esna are the bustling tourist-friendly market, which occupies two streets in the direction of the corniche towards the interior. The other one is the temple of Esna. The temple was excavated partly, and it is approximately 200 meters from the river and 9 meters beneath the street level.
