Athribis Project
The aim of the project is to fully and thoroughly research, preserve and publish the written records, material technologies and phases of construction of the large temple in the town, which was dedicated to the god Min-Re, his wife Repyt and their son, the child-god Kolanthes.
[1][2] A team of Egyptologists, conservationists and architectural experts from Germany, Poland and Egypt have been working on the project since 2003, under the leadership of Christian Leitz, professor of Egyptology at Tübingen University.
[3] Athribis is located about 7 kilometres or 4 miles southwest of the modern city of Sohag (about 200 km or 125 mi north of Luxor), at the foot of the mountains on the west bank of the Nile.
This area would have been part of the 9th Upper Egyptian nome of Ancient Egypt, whose capital was at Achmim, directly opposite Athribis on the east bank of the Nile.
The biggest challenge at that time was dealing with approximately 400 collapsed stone blocks, weighing up to 34 tonnes, which had to be removed with specialised inflatable air pads like those used at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna near Luxor.
An important part of the work is the documentation and appraisal of the large collection of texts found in relief on the stones which make up walls, columns and roofs.
Ptolemy XII (ruled 81–58 and 55–51 BC), one of the last kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty and father of Cleopatra VII, built the 75m by 45m temple and decorated the interior rooms.
This happened at latest soon after the ban of pagan cults, in an edict brought into effect by the Roman Emperors Theodosius I, Gratian and Valentinian II in the year 380 BC.
From this time sherds of pottery and glass have been found, along with remains of mats, baskets, textiles, tools and jewellery, and writing on ostraka and papyrus rags.
One inscription from this room (E4, 3, 1, and 4) describes:[15] …he (that is, Ptolemy XII) built this wonderful memorial for his father Min Re, the lord of Achmim, the king of the gods.
May the reward for the King be that duration, that life and power, that full health and all joy which eternally comes forth from the throne of Horus like Ra (the sun god).
These rooms are described in an inscription as follows:[17] …he (that is, Ptolemy XII) built the Punt Chamber, fully adorned with the myrrh trees, for his mother, the Mighty, the Eye of Horus, Repyt in the West.
He supplied the Laboratory with countless large and sweet-smelling timbers for his father (that is, the god Min-Re)…[16] Another peculiarity of the temple is group of three north-facing chapels K1-K3.
Min-Re, also worshipped in Achmim, represented fertility and is therefore portrayed ithyphallic with a double-feathered crown and an arm stretched upwards as if about to strike.
Kolanthes is depicted typically as a child in Ancient Egypt, sitting with his finger to his mouth and his hair in the traditional prepubescent style (sidelock of youth).
[19] The roughly 1,300 hieroglyphic inscriptions so far found in the temple, made up of texts spread over 34 rooms, not only contain important written information but are also beautifully decorated.
