Temple of Amada

Image:Amada relief of Thutmose III.jpg

The original building plan for the structure featured a pylon, forecourt and a portico which led to a sanctuary.Oakes, p.204 However, when Thutmose IV put a roof over the open forecourt, the pillars and walls "were decorated with offering scenes, with those involving Thutmosis IV on the left" and Thutmose III and Amenhotep II on the right.Oakes, p.204 The temple's decoration shows the king in temple ritual and in the company of a wide variety of deities. {{Cite web |title=Amada Temple |url=https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/monuments/amada-temple |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=egymonuments.gov.eg |language=en}} The reliefs and inscriptions within temple are extremely well preserved due to a layer of plaster covering them when the temple was converted into a church. Still visible today are inscriptions relating to the military exploits by Merenptah, the fourth pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty, and Amenhotep II, the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty .

The finest painted reliefs are in the innermost section of the temple where Thutmose III and Amenhotep II are shown being embraced or making offerings to various Egyptian gods.Oakes, p.204 The left hand side of the vestibule shows Amenhotep II being crowned by Horus and Thoth and running with an oar and a hap (or navigational instrument). The cult room at the side of the sanctuary contains some interesting foundation and consecration scenes for the temple which depict "the ritual of the 'stretching of the cord', the ceremonial making and laying of bricks, and the offering of the temple to its gods." Although the temple has a dull and crumbling exterior, its interior features some of the most finely cut reliefs with bright and vibrant colors.{{cite book |author1=Lonely Planet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkljDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT463 |title=Lonely Planet Egypt |author2=Jessica Lee |author3=Anthony Sattin |date=1 July 2018 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-78701-904-1 |pages=463–}}

There are two important historical inscriptions from Amada temple. The earliest, dated to Year 3 of Amenhotep II, "is on a round topped stelae at the rear (eastern) wall of the sanctuary."Baines & Málek, p.182 Its text describes this pharaoh's ruthless military campaign in Asia:

{{cquote|His Majesty returned in joy to his father Amun after he had slain with his own mace the seven chiefs in the district of Takhesy (Syria) who were then hung upside down from the prow of the boat of His Majesty.}}

Amenhotep II goes on to describe how he hanged six of the dead chiefs "on the walls of Thebes" while the seventh was hung on the walls of Napata (a Nubian frontier city near the Fourth Cataract). This was done as a clear warning to the subject Nubians of the dangerous consequences of rebellion during Amenhotep's reign. The second historical text, "on a stela engraved on the left (northern) thickness of the entrance doorway" mentions the defeat of an invasion from Libya in Year 4 of Merneptah.Baines & Málek, p.182

The temple was described by early travellers and first published by Henri GauthierRosalie David, Discovering Ancient Egypt, Facts on File, 1993. p.104 in 1913.Henri Gauthier, Le temple d'Amada (Cairo 1913)

==Church==

The temple was converted into a church presumably in the 6th century. The Christians plastered the hieroglyphs with Christian paintings that survived until the 19th century. Frederic Louis Norden described them as early 1738 as depicting "the Trinity, the apostles, and divers (sic.) other saints".Norden, Frederic Louis (1757). "Travels in Egypt and Nubia". p. 144 Franz Christian Gau painted what remained of them in 1822. Already a few years later, in 1830, Jean-Jacques Rifaud and Johann Matthias Neurohr proposed to tear the Christian paintings down to access the ancient Egyptian art beneath.Jean-Jacques Rifaud & Johann Matthias Neurohr (1830) "Gemälde von Aegypten und Nubien". pp. 155-156 They were destroyed soon after.

{{main| International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia}}

Between 1964 and 1975, the temple was moved from its original location to a new site "some 65 m higher and 2.5 km away from its original site". Chopping it into blocks, as was being done with the other temples, was not an option; the paintings would not have survived. Seeing that all seemed resigned to see the temple flooded by the silty waters of Lake Nasser, Christiane Desroches Noblecourt announced that France would save it. She asked two architects to propose a method for moving the temple in one piece. Their idea was to put the temple on rails and transport it hydraulically to a site a few kilometers away that was more than 60 meters higher.

The rock-cut Temple of Derr was also moved to the new site of Amada.Christine Hobson, Exploring the World of the Pharaohs: A complete guide to Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson 1993 paperback, p.177

File:Amada temple-church, 1822.png|The Amada temple in 1822. At this date there still existed the early medieval dome which was built when the temple was converted into a church.

File:Amada Temple by Dennis G. Jarvis.jpg|The interior of Amada temple

File:Amada temple Christian paintings.png|Remains of painted Christian saints plastered over the ancient reliefs.

File:S03 06 01 018 image 2409.jpg|Egypt - Temple of Amada, Nubia. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection

File:Amada ( 110 miles south of Aswan, left bank ). Temple founded by Tuthmosis III.jpg|Inscriptions on this pillar in the hypostyle hall concern the lord of the Island of Biggeh.

File:Amada - Temple founded by Tuthmosis III end Amenophis II of the XVIIIth dynasty.jpg|Exterior view

File:Amada - interior detail of Thutmose III with natural spotlight.jpg|Interior detail depicting Amenhotep II with natural spotlight

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Category:Egyptian temples

Category:Thutmose III

Category:Amenhotep II

Category:Tourist attractions in Egypt

Category:Relocated monuments of Lower Nubia