Temples of Abu Island, Elephantine
Temples - Buildings - Builders & Buildings
What: Island home of a Fort; numerous Temples, 2 Nilometers and the Cave Home of God Khnum, one of the Elephantine Triad
Where: Just before the 1st Cataract of the Nile : Border between Egypt and Nubia : considered as a prime defensive position and a natural transfer point for river trade
Known as: Abu or “Elephant” : Gained its current name either from the shape of the island which resembles an elephant’s tusk or from the rounded rocks on its banks
There are a few Temples on the Island
Temple of Goddess Satet/Satis
When: around 3,000 BC
What: Temple dedicated to Goddess Satet/Satis and continued in use and was enlarged for 3,000 years
Who: The Goddess Satet is a personification of the Nile inundation; one of the Elephantine Triad
Temple of God Khnum
When: around 3rd Dynasty : 2670-2613 BC. Rebuilt designed and erected during the 13th Dynasty : 1803-1649 BC
What: Temple dedicated to God Khnum
Who: The God Khnum ; the God who guards and controls the Nile waters; one of the Elephantine Triad
Temple of Heqaib
When: 6th Dynasty: 2323-2150 BC
What: Temple to local Governor Heqaib
Who: Erected for the Governor, and later Governors dedicated their own Statues and Shrines
Temple of Thutmose III
When: 18th Dynasty: 1479-1425 BC
What: Temple to the Pharaoh so he could be worshipped and remembered here as being in line with the local deities
Temple of Amenhotep III
When: 18th Dynasty: 1390–1353 BC
What: Temple to the Pharaoh so he could be worshipped and remembered here as being in line with the local deities
Nilometers
In simple terms, a Nilometer is a device used by Priests for measuring the River Nile’s water level during the annual flood season. This was measured in Cubits: A Cubit today equates to half a meter
Knowing the levels of the water in the Nile has been of great importance to officials for more than 5,000 years. A lower level of Cubits could lead to drought and then famine and a higher level of Cubits could mean a catastrophic flood
Elephantine Island’s Nilometers were considered the most important as, their location at Egypt’s southern border meant that they were the first to know when the annual Flood was detected
There are two on the Island
1.) A Corridor Nilometer in conjunction with the Temple of Satis
What: Uses steps which lead down to the Nile along a corridor: the marks to confirm the Nile Flood are marked along the side of the Corridor in Hieroglyphs, Roman numerals and Arabic numbers, proving the longevity of the measuring tool
When: Reconstructed during the Roman rule of Egypt and was still used in the 1800s
2.) A rectangular basin near the Temple of Khnum
When: May be the Oldest Nilometer in Egypt
