Mortuary Temple of Ramses III (Medinat Habu)

Medinet Habu is the name commonly given to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III, an important New Kingdom period structure on the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt.

Aside from its intrinsic size and architectural and artistic importance, the temple is probably best known as the source of inscribed reliefs depicting the advent and defeat of the Sea Peoples during the reign of Ramesses III.

The temple is some 150 m long and of orthodox design, closely resembling the nearby Ramesseum. The Temple of Ramses II contains more than 7,000 square metres of richly decorated wall reliefs in excellent condition, all surrounded by a massive mudbrick enclosure which was probably fortified.

The first pylon leads into an open courtyard lined with colossal statues of Ramesses III as Osiris on one side, and uncarved columns on the other. The second pylon leads into a peristyle hall, again featuring columns in the shape of Ramesses.

A ramp is then ascended through a columned portico to the third pylon and then into the large hypostyle hall, which has lost its roof. Reliefs and actual heads of foreign captives were also found placed within the temple perhaps in an attempt to symbolise the king's control over Syria and Nubia.

In Coptic (ancient Egyptian christianity) times, there was a church inside the temple structure, which has since been removed. Some of the carvings in the main wall of the temple have been altered by coptic carvings.