Location: 12 km North of Al- Minya, Minya Governorate Map
Akoris Archaeological Site is ancient archeological site situated 12 km North of Al- Minya in Minya Governorate in Egypt. This ancient Egyptian site of Akoris was inhabited since the Old Kingdom around the 22nd century BC. Limestone cliffs were used by first people that dug a whole town underneath the surface. Fraser Tombs as they became known were increased by subsequent generations up to period of the Roman Empire. Most of the free standing structures that are visible today in Akoris date back to the New Kingdom as well as Greek and Roman period of the Egyptian history.
The area of the village and the area in its south
was already since ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom populated. The
village was named after several names (Ancient Egypt Mer-nefer (et)
("Beautiful Canal", Old and Middle Kingdom), Per-Imen-Ma't-chent (j)
("The House of Amun, the foremost lion", New Kingdom) , TA-dehenet
("the mountain peak", from the 26th Dynasty), Greek Ἄκωρις (Akoris,
Latin Acoris) and Τῆνις (Tēnis)).
The ancient Egyptian
settlement was at all times an important administrative city in the
south of the 17th Upper-Egyptian Gaus . She also had a port.
Archaeological evidence has only been available since the New
Kingdom with the Temple of Amun . The present settlement remains
south of the village date back to Roman-Coptic times. Perhaps
because of its strategic location since Persian times, there was
also a fortress, but archaeologically this can not be proven.
The gods had a strong local reference to the rocks or wadis. The
deity worshiped here in the early days is unknown, perhaps it was a
lion deity. From the 18th dynasty Amun , the foremost lion, is
worshiped here. As of the 26th dynasty, Sobek , Lord of Beẖ (et)
(Lord of the mouth of the Desert) also joined here and became the
chief deity. Other deities worshiped here were Thoth , Isis and / or
Mut , Osiris , Horus and Chons .
Tombs have been buried in
the rocks since the middle of the 4th Dynasty. These are in part
large chamber graves of wealthy administrative officials; the most
famous are the Fraser Tombs . In the 21st and 22nd Dynasty burials
of the priests of the local temple are also buried here. Beginning
with the New Kingdom, some of the early tombs are being rededicated
in chapels for Amun and later for Sobek. But the graves were all
looted.
The area of the village and the terrain to its south had been
inhabited since the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom. The town had several
names (Ancient Egyptian Mer-nefer(et) (“Beautiful Canal”, Old and Middle
Kingdom), Per-Imen-mAt-chent(j) (“The House of Amun, the foremost lion”,
New Kingdom) , TA-dehenet ("the mountain top", from the 26th Dynasty),
Greek Ἄκωρις (Akoris, Latin Acoris) and Τῆνις (Tēnis)).
The
ancient Egyptian settlement was at all times an important administrative
city in the south of the 17th Upper Egyptian region. It probably also
had a harbor. Archaeological evidence has only existed since the New
Kingdom with the Temple of Amun. The remains of today's settlements
south of the village date back to the Roman-Coptic period. There may
have been a fortress here since Persian times due to its strategically
favorable location, but this cannot be proven archaeologically.
The gods had a strong local connection to the rocks or wadi. The deity
worshiped here in early times is unknown, perhaps it was a lion deity.
From the 18th Dynasty onwards, Amun, the foremost lion, was worshiped
here. From the 26th Dynasty, Sobek, Lord of Beẖ(et) (Lord of the Mouth
of the (Desert) Way), also appeared here and became the main deity.
Other gods worshiped here were Thoth, Isis and/or Mut, Osiris, Horus and
Chons.
Tombs have been built in the rocks since the middle of the
4th Dynasty. Some of these are large chamber tombs of wealthy
administrative officials; the most famous are the Fraser Tombs. In the
21st and 22nd dynasties, the tombs of the priests of the local temple
were also buried here. From the New Kingdom onwards, some of the early
graves were rededicated as chapels for Amun and later also for Sobek.
But the graves were all looted.
Only a few ancient Egyptian monuments have survived. They are located
in the south of today's village.
The Temple of Amun, King of the
Gods (also referred to as Temple B) dates from the New Kingdom. It was
created in a chamber tomb under Ramses II and under Ramses III.
completed. At that time it was a pure rock temple (Speos), it consists
of four chambers one behind the other with an altar in the last chamber.
The first chamber had the original burial shaft. The temple was
significantly expanded in the time of Nero; it now received a path and a
hall with eight pillars in front of the rock hall. Only the entrance to
the pillared hall is decorated with depictions of King Nero making
sacrifices. Architrave fragments still showed Sobek, Thoth Isis and Mut
performing sacrificial acts by Nero (or Germanicus).
Immediately
south of the Temple of Amun is the pre-Ptolemaic Temple of Sobek, Lord
of Beh (also called Chapel or Temple C). It was also created in a large
chamber tomb, of which there are still remains of pillars with the image
of Hathor. These four pillars were built around the grave shaft. This
temple has no other decoration apart from an inscription on the door
jamb naming the worshiped god. At its back is the statue niche.
In the foreland of the temple you can see the remains of the Roman
settlement.
A little further south is the rock stele of Ramses
III, which shows the pharaoh in front of Sobek-Re accompanied by Amun,
lord of Shana. About two kilometers south are the Fraser Tombs.
The site was and is also used as a quarry for the white calcified nummulite limestone, which was formed from the lime deposits of single-celled, shell-bearing and sea-dwelling amoebas in the Tertiary.