The ancient temple of Khnum in Esna comes back to life. The mural birds of prey have regained their blue and gold pigments, the horned reliefs of the ram-headed god have regained their matte, ocher and olive luster. And the polychromy resuscitated by a thousand cartridges vibrates more beautifully in the darkened heights of the sanctuary. A restoration campaign implemented by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the German University of Tübingen has finished breathing new life into this splendid place of worship, located about forty kilometers south of Luxor.
The site needed it. Faded by the inexorable procession of millennia, soiled by the filth of centuries and thick layers of soot, the thick walls and heavy columns of the temple of Esna have witnessed since 2018 the meticulous cleaning work carried out by the German teams and Egyptians. Four years later, the Egyptian authorities are pleased with the newfound grace of the building and the various discoveries made during this major project. Rough ceilings, 14 meters high, hid a squadron of 24 majestic effigies of Wadjet and Nekhbet, gods of Upper and Lower Egypt. A wall also yielded to archaeologists a Greek inscription in red ink, dated to the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (81-96 AD). A clue that could help to better clarify the chronology of this fascinating set.
Closer to our time than to the time of the Giza pyramids, the Temple of Khnum at Esna is indeed one of the few surviving Egyptian temples from the Greco-Roman period (4th century BC-4th century AD). . Built in sandstone, this complete vestibule would date from the time of Claudius (41-54) and would have been embellished for nearly two centuries. The imposing building that remains today only formed the vestibule, or pronaos, of the temple itself. The rest of the sanctuary completely disappeared a long time ago. It cannot be auscultated by archeology because of the development of the modern city of Esna – nicknamed Latopolis in Antiquity.
The abundance of inscriptions inside the temple has at least provided a wide source of study for epigraphers. One of the archaeologists who contributed the most to the understanding of these sacred texts was the French Serge Sauneron (1927-1976), former president of the French Institute of Oriental Archeology and reference author for the site of Esna . The general cleaning of the temple should make it possible to relaunch research on these innumerable hieroglyphic lines and columns guarded by swarms of ancient gods. Better still, several unpublished passages, passed hitherto unnoticed, were identified during the restoration of the site, indicated the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
Scientists shouldn’t be the only ones benefiting from the revival of the Temple of Esna, however. The building will also show its renewed charms to a few processions of tourists who are sure to pass. The sanctuary is well worth it. It is particularly recognized for the craftsmanship of its architecture and the beauty of its hypostyle hall, supported by lavish lotiform columns of great finesse. A profusion of shapes and colors now revealed by German and Egyptian restoration work. An archaeological black work.
