Hiero Lens

Places › Luxor (ancient Thebes)

Medinet Habu

Site, Luxor (ancient Thebes) · also called Temple of Ramesses III, Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III, Djamet

Medinet Habu has some of the deepest-cut and most colourful hieroglyphs in Egypt, on the memorial temple of Ramesses III (c. 1186–1155 BC), the best preserved temple on the West Bank.

Ramesses III built his temple inside a fortified enclosure entered through a gate shaped like a fortress tower. The pylons, courts and halls are covered with his wars and festivals. The carving is sunk relief cut unusually deep, so the signs throw strong shadows and stay readable even where worn.

The site is older than its famous temple. A smaller temple, begun by Hatshepsut and finished by Thutmose III, stands inside the walls, and chapels of the God's Wives of Amun were added later. In Christian times a town grew up inside the enclosure.

What to see and read

Sea Peoples battle

On the outer north wall, a sea battle with the ships of the Sea Peoples, one of the earliest pictures of a naval fight. Long texts describe the war.

First pylon

Ramesses III smites enemies before Amun, with rows of conquered peoples, each named inside an oval.

Second court

Blue, red and yellow paint survives on many signs, around festival scenes for the gods Min and Sokar.

Calendar of feasts

A long list of festivals and their offerings on the outer south wall.

Small temple of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III

Earlier, finer carving with recut names, worth comparing with Ramesses III's deep signs.

Names you can find here

Signs to look for

  1. Head and neck of a canine F12wsr The canine head spells user in Usermaatre, Ramesses III's throne name, on almost every wall.
  2. Feather H6mꜣꜥt The feather spells maat in Usermaatre.
  3. Crook S38ḥqꜣ The crook, heqa, spells 'ruler' in his birth name, 'Ramesses, ruler of Heliopolis'.
  4. Cartouche V10 Cartouche rings, carved huge and deep, frame his names across the pylons.

Reading the hieroglyphs here

  • Ramesses III copied Ramesses II's names. The crook in the birth name tells them apart.
  • Deep relief photographs well even at midday, and the live camera handles it better than shallow carving.
  • Walk round the outside walls: the war scenes and the calendar are on the exterior.

Point your camera at a wall Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.

Questions

What is Medinet Habu famous for?

Its deep reliefs of Ramesses III's wars, including the battle against the Sea Peoples, and the colour in its second court. It is also among the most complete temples in Egypt.

Is Medinet Habu worth visiting?

Yes. It is often quieter than Karnak, and its carving is among the clearest anywhere.

Where it is

Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.