THE TEMPLE OF AMON

The holy saints were literally devastated by centuries of erosion and looting (Egyptians, Romans…). The overall plan is still visible, the colonnades, some tiles. But there is almost nothing. In the remaining building, you will move from bas-reliefs into granite columns. Two bélier statues, symbols of Amun, are still visible at the entrance to the temple towards the Nile, but they originated originally from the temple of Soleib, more downstream. Indeed, several elements of this temple, a symbol of past Egyptian dominance, were recovered by the Napatéens.

It is important to note that the initial construction of the temple of Amun de Napata is Egyptian, probably dating from the th century before our age. It was the great pharaoh Thoutmôsis III who decided to offer a temple in Amun, supposed to live in this mountain. Enlarged by its successors, the temple became a highly sacred place of Egyptian religion. It provides a decisive account of the legitimacy necessary to Piye, founder of the xxv dynasty, and his son Taharqa, to rule on Egypt thébaïque. And, symbolically, to take possession of the "Turned" equivalent of the temple of Amun in Napata, that of Karnak (see box).