ENCLOSURE WALL OF EL KHAB (El-Khab/Nekheb) El Khab, the current name of the old Nekheb, is located about 12 miles north of Idfu on the east bank of the Nile. The presence of ancient Nekheb and the twin city on the opposite bank of the Nile, Nekhen, called Hierakonpolis by the Greeks, covers a historical period that goes from the Predynastic to the Ptolemaic Period. The first settlements of the two cities date back to the year 6000 and around the end of the Predynastic / Early Dynastic Period they had particular political, religious and military relevance. Nekheb and Nekhen formed together the capital of the Third Nome of Upper Egypt, the Nome of the Feathery Fortress. In these two cities the goddess Nekhbet was worshiped, the vulture goddess symbol of Upper Egypt, who together with the cobra goddess Wadjit of Buto, symbol of Lower Egypt, was the tutelary goddess of the Egyptian kings. Coming to El Khab, on the right-hand side of the road, there is an impressive Enclosure Wall that encloses an area of about 300.000 square yards. The enclosure wall has a square shape; the length of each side exceeds 1.600 feet, the width of the wall is about 40 feet and its average height is 20 feet. This enclosure wall was built during the Late Period, probably during the XXX Dynasty and housed inside temples and cemeteries of which today nothing is left but a few remains. There are no tourists here and therefore the maintenance of the site is nearly nonexistent. Among the brush inside the enclosure walls you can see the few remains of two temples and a sacred lake. The first temple, dedicated to Toth, was built by Amenhotep II and later expanded by Ramses II. The second temple, built by Thutmose III and expanded in the Late Period, is dedicated to Nekhbet. For further informations visit my website: my-egypt.it/upper-egypt/el-khab-nekheb-1/
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 09:43:08 +0000
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