Speos of Horemheb in Gebel el-Silsila, Aswan, Egypt – Egyptian Monuments
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Although there are many archaeological sites in the Gebel el-Silsila area, the shrine of King Horemheb is considered the main shrine in this area.
This shrine dates back to King Horemheb, the most famous of the Egyptian Pharaohs kings who ruled Egypt during a transitional period between the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties in the ancient Egyptian civilization.
This place was built as a memorial temple for him, and this temple was constructed by carving inside the rocks and not with blocks of stones, indicating the development of art and engineering. This area is about 65 kilometers from the city of Aswan.
Speos of Horemheb Facts
Why did King Horemheb choose Gebel Silsila to build his shrine?
King Horemheb of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt in The New Kingdom of Egypt chose the Gebel el-Silsila area for its sacred religious status at that time.
It overlooks the sacred Nile River and many Egyptian deities – Ancient Egyptian gods and Goddesses water gods were worshipped, as in the Ancient Egyptian religion.
What is the historical significance of the Horemheb chapel in Gebel el-Silsila?
After building this cabin, a large number of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom and the great statesmen of the ruling in ancient Egypt “Ancient Egyptian Government” during The Ramesside Period, known as the Twentieth Egyptian Dynasty, engraved many panels on the walls of this cabin to record the celebration of their victories and indicate the strength of the Military of ancient Egypt.
Some of them built statues of themselves inside it, such as King Ramses II of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, King Ramses III, king Merenptah, King Siptah, and the minister of King Ramses II, who was called Minister Baser, and Prince Khaemwaset.
There are also a number of crosses painted on the walls of the cabin, indicating that this cabin was used as a Christian church during the Roman Empire era “Greek-Roman era“.
Controversy over the construction of Horus Mahbub’s chapel in Gebel Silsila.
Some Egyptologists and archaeologists believe that King Horemheb (who has Tomb of Horemheb | KV57 in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and Tomb of Horemheb – Saqqara) did not build this chapel.
This group of scholars believe that King Tutankhamun (who has Tomb of Tutankhamun | KV62) built it and that King Horemheb attributed it to himself by modifying the hieroglyphic letters of the Ancient Egyptian Language to the name of the throne holder.
This belief is due to the presence of scratches around the name and the scenes on the walls that resemble the features of Tutankhamun, especially one of the drawings that depicts a child being breastfed by the god Taweret.
The artistic and architectural features of this chapel also resemble the temples of Tell el-Amarna in Minya, the city of King Akhenaton and his wife Queen Nefertiti, the most famous queen of Pharaonic Egypt “Female Pharaohs“, and his son King Tutankhamun..
Description of Jabal al-Silsila
The height of the Horemheb cabin is about 5 meters, and the width of its facade reaches 27 meters..
The facade of the cabin has five entrances between which there are four square columns. The middle entrance is the main entrance, although it is the smallest in size.
Above it is an engraving of the sun disk, and on its sides are engraved many titles with which King Horemheb is described..
This entrance leads to a transverse hall measuring 23.5 metres long and 3.5 metres wide. This hall has a dome-shaped ceiling and does not contain any decorations..
At the end of this hall is the Holy of Holies room, where many gods were worshipped, such as: God Amun, God Khonsu, God Sobek, God Taweret, and God Thoth.
Most of the inscriptions on the walls of this cabin are religious inscriptions depicting the king performing his religious rituals, but the kings after Horemheb added many other inscriptions to the walls, such as celebrating military victories within the Pharaonic holidays “Festivals in Ancient Egypt” and the ceremonies of King Ramses II celebrating his thirtieth jubilee on the Feast of Hab Sed and the ceremonies celebrating the Coronation of the Pharaohs.
Appointment of Horemheb as Viceroy and Coronation in Thebes
After being appointed viceroy, Horemheb began to manage the affairs of the land with wisdom and prudence. The overseers reported to him the state of affairs, the people bowed before him in submission at the gates of the palace, their hands were extended in his presence in submission to the kingship, and everything was done by his command.
Fear of him controlled the hearts of the people when he appeared, and the peasants and the sick sought his advice and assistance. He was welcomed as the father of the land and the advisor given to him by the god to manage the affairs of the country..
And after many days, when Horus’ sons were grown up and became the hereditary rulers of that land, Horus longed to see his son sit on his eternal throne.
So Amun commanded him to be crowned, and then Horus went to Thebes, the city of the Lord of Eternity, rejoicing, with his son in his arms, to Karnak to present them before Amun, to appoint him to the office of king and to spend his life as king. They came in rejoicing at the beautiful festival of Luxor.
And Amun saw the majesty of this god Horus and his son with him, and presented them to give them their office on the throne. And Amun-Re was filled with joy when he saw them coming on the day of offerings. And after that, he presented himself to this matter, as the hereditary ruler and chief of the land, Horemheb.“
Note: Facts and secrets of the history Speos of Horemheb will be added soon…
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The Speos Of Horemheb in Gebel Silsila, Aswan, Egypt | Facts, History, Map, Entrance Fees
