Meharakka temple Aswan Egypt tours, prices, booking, reviews
Meharakka temple Aswan Egypt built under Roman rule. In fact, the temple not finished. Meharakka temple Aswan indeed is special. It is because it has the only spiral staircase in any ancient Egyptian structure. The temple dedicated to Serapis, the Alexandrian god. This god introduced in Egypt in Ptolemaic times. The god is a fusion of the Egyptian Gods Osiris, Apis, the Greek gods Zeus and Aesculape. In fact, Al-Meharakka is a place in Lower Nubia which was approximately 120 km south of Aswan. It was on the southern border of the Roman empire. The Kushites from the kingdom of Meroe launched a raid on the First cataract region of Egypt in 23 BC. It was only a few years after the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC.
The Roman prefect of Egypt, Petronius, retaliated and defeated the invading Meroitic army. He then proceeded to station a Roman garrison of 400 troops at the southern outpost of Qasr Ibrim. After some negotiations, a permanent frontier between Meroe and Roman Egypt established at Meharakka. As a result, Meharakka formed the extreme southern frontier of Roman Egypt. Meharakka temple Aswan originally situated here. And then, it relocated in the mid-1960s due to the Aswan High Dam project. The temple dedicated to the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis. In fact, this Roman- Egyptian temple not attributed to any Roman emperor’s reign. It was because it never completed nor inscribed.
Further details about Meharakka temple Aswan Egypt:
However, it known that temple building declined in Nubia after the rule of Augustus. So, Meharakka temple Aswan might attributed to his reign. The only part of the structure which finished , was a court measuring 13.56 X 15.69 m. In fact, it surrounded on three sides by columns. The actual temple premises containing the sanctuary which never actually built. In fact, the temple does not have formal pylon. The temple features an architectural curiosity with a winding spiral staircase. It is at a corner of the court which led to its roof. This is the only Egyptian temple in Nubia with a spiral staircase.
The former location threatened by flooding from the Nile. It was due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam. As a result, Meharakka temple Aswan dismantled in 1961 by the Egyptian Antiquities Service. The temple rebuilt along with the temple of Dakka in 1966. It was in New Wadi es Seboua site which lies only 4 km west of the original Wadi es-Seboua location. A little to the north of Amada now stand three temples. They are Wadi es Seboua which which built by Ramses II, Dakka temple and Meharakka temple.
