New-Amada

In New-Amada there are three saved monuments. When landing there, they first will go with you into the temple of Amada, nearby lies the temple of Derr and going a few paces you will arrive at the tomb of Penut. These temples and the tomb once were lying in the area of the so called "Dodekaschoinos". Indeed, they date from the time of the New Kingdom, whose rulers tried to show their power in Nubia.

The temple von Amada

This temple is the oldest in Nubia. He was built in the time of the pharaohs Tutmosis III, Amenophis II und Tutmosis IV. Later pharaos have added more details. The christs have used it as church and by sheathing the walls protected the beautiful reliefs so their rich colouring was saved. The temple is an example of the architecture of the New Kingdom. Two important inscriptions are in the temple: In the sacntuary room there is an inscription on the batttle of Amenophis II against the Asiatics in his second year of reign. To the left of the entrance way there is an inscription telling of the subjection of a Nubian rebellion, dating the fourth year of reign of Merenptah (19th dynasty, he is the son of Ramses II). The temple was consecrated to the gods Amun-Re and Re-Harchte. Therefore there are a lot of depictions of these gods as well as the building owners, the pharaos of the 18th dynasty. The reliefs were partly very good conserved and are beautiful. The temple was transported by a french team on rail about 2,6 kilometres. In this temple there were also depictions of chancellor Ramses Khementer Bay, just click here!

The temple of Derr

This temple of Ramses II is a "hemispeos" which means it is a temple half built outside, and half cut into the rock. He was lying 11 kilometres more south and was saved by Egyptian archeologists. Outside, the temple looks modestly, but inside there are some beautiful reliefs. Ramses let eternalize himself here: he is shown in a sacrifice ceremony and in the procession of the boats as priest in a fur of a leopard. This temple was first erected under Tutmosis III as "rock shrine". The front part is not very well conserved. The columns are missing and also the upper parts of the figures. The inner parts were cut out of the rock. There are a lot of scenes which shows the military campaigns of Ramses II in Nubia.

The tomb of Penut

Penut was a high official under Ramses VI (1141 - 1133 v. Chr.). His tomb, quarried out of the rock, lies originally 40 kilometres more south (Aniba). Unfortunately more than the half of the reliefs were damaged in the 20th century. Those left show beautiful colours. Penut was head administrator of the viceroy of Kush. The inscription tell he was the vice officer of Wawat (Lower Nubia), head of the stone quarries and steward of Horus, the lord of Miam (= Aniba). He could be a Nubian, because his family members were buried in tombs in Nubia. Penut's tomb is typical for a tomb of the New Kingdom. It shows his life, moreover his service for Ramses VI. There are also scenes of the dead tribunal and the underworld. In the corridor there is a depiction of Penut and his wife called Takha, who was priest in the temple of Horus in Miam. There are statues in the niches.