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Once hidden beneath layers of soot and bird faeces, the stunningly colourful painted scenes and elaborately carved columns adorning the Temple of Khnum at Esna (Latopolis) can now be seen in all their glory following decades of painstaking work by conservators from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the University of Tübingen, Germany. The temple, which is 60km (40 miles) south of Luxor, was originally constructed by Thutmose III, but the only surviving part – the pronaos or hypostyle hall – dates to the reign of Tiberius (AD 14-37) and was decorated by successive Roman emperors. The walls and columns are covered with inscriptions praising the creator gods Khnum and Neith, while the spectacular astronomical ceiling includes scenes of the waxing and waning moon, the constellations, and the ‘Four Wind’ gods. You can read more about the conservation work at Esna in AE 125.
Text: SG / Image: Sarah Griffiths
