Soleb
Khaem-Maat (Ȝḫ-m-Mꜣꜥt) · Soleb Temple of Amun · Sulb Temple · Amenhotep III Soleb
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ~1380 BCE·Ancient Egyptian (imperial Nubia) and Napatan·🇸🇩 Northern State (west bank Nile, 260 km north Khartoum, between Soleb and Sedeinga), Sudan
About
About Soleb
Largest New Kingdom Egyptian temple in Nubia (Amenhotep III, c.1380 BCE) on west bank Nile near Third Cataract. Built for Amun (later Aten under Akhenaten) and deified Amenhotep III, 135 m long hypostyle with 32 columns, pylon 16 m high, processional avenue with ram-sphinxes. Adjacent elite cemetery has small pyramids (Napatan) 5–7 m base, Second Cataract region. Italian and Sudanese missions (Schiff Giorgini, then Michela Schiff). Part of Napatan World Heritage Jebel Barkal and Sites of Napatan Region.
Why it mattersArchitectural prototype for Karnak hypostyle?; southernmost major Egyptian temple and pivot of Amun–Aten theology debate.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Atenist erasures — Soleb may hold earliest Aten chapel before Amarna
Theories
- 01Memorial temple hypothesis — funerary cult for living king in Nubia, parallel to Theban mortuary temples
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1380 BCE, 18th Dynasty (Amenhotep III) with Tutankhamun/Horemheb additions
- Period
- New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ~1380 BCE
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian (imperial Nubia) and Napatan
- Builders
- Ancient Egyptian (Amenhotep III, architect in Nubia, with Nubian labour)
- Purpose
- Royal memorial temple for deified Amenhotep III and Amun cult, centre of Egyptian Viceregal administration of Upper Nubia
- Abandoned
- c.1070 BCE after New Kingdom withdrawal; reused Napatan–Meroitic
- Rediscovered
- 1930s C. Firth notes; 1957–63 Schiff Giorgini excavates temple and cemetery
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.1380 BCE
Amenhotep III erects hypostyle, pylon, and ram avenue
c.1350 BCE
Akhenaten rededicates to Aten, erases Amun names
c.1320 BCE
Tutankhamun restores Amun and adds reliefs
1957–63
Schiff Giorgini clears temple and finds Napatan pyramid field adjacent
On the ground
Structures & features
20.4363° N · 30.3339° E · 195 m · 3 mapped features
Hypostyle hall and pylon
temple135 m temple with 32 sandstone columns and 16 m pylon, ram avenue north
20.4363° N · 30.3339° ERam-sphinx avenue
avenueProcessional avenue with 6 ram-sphinx statues (Amun) leading to first pylon
20.4367° N · 30.3342° EAdjacent pyramid cemetery
pyramidNapatan small pyramid field 200 m southeast of temple, 20 pyramids 5–7 m base
20.4355° N · 30.3350° E
Gallery