Narmouthis — Temple Town Lake Moeris Harbour (Medinet Madi South)
Narmouthis South Harbour · Medinet Madi Temple Harbour · Medinat Ghoran South
Middle Kingdom to Byzantine (2000 BCE – 400 CE)·Egyptian / Ptolemaic·🇪🇬 Fayum Depression, southwest Fayum, Medinet Madi (Narmouthis) southern temple approach, Egypt
About
About Narmouthis — Temple Town Lake Moeris Harbour (Medinet Madi South)
Temple town lake harbour of Narmouthis at Medinet Madi on southwestern Fayum, where the Middle Kingdom–Ptolemaic Sobek-Renenutet temple town's southern lake approach now lies 2–3 m under Fayum silts south of the temple enclosure. 5 m studied by 1930s Achille Vogliano and 2006 Munich prospection. Founded late 3rd millennium BCE as Shedet periphery, Narmouthis was Sobek of the Lake and Renenutet cobra temple harbour from Middle Kingdom to 4th c. CE.
Dromos handled crocodile cult barges.
Why it mattersSouthern approach proves Narmouthis lake temple harbour; temple and dromos date Middle Kingdom Fayum hydraulics and Sobek-Renenutet syncretism.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether basin is natural lake arm or Middle Kingdom canal
- 02Attribution of Renenutet vs Sobek primary cult?
Theories
- 01South handled pilgrim barges, centre handled crocodile pools
- 02Lake regression 300 CE forced causeway lengthening
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. 1991 BCE Amenemhat III temple; harbour Middle Kingdom
- Period
- Middle Kingdom to Byzantine (2000 BCE – 400 CE)
- Culture
- Egyptian / Ptolemaic
- Builders
- Middle Kingdom Egyptian / Ptolemaic
- Purpose
- Sobek-Renenutet temple lake harbour and pilgrim barge approach
- Abandoned
- c. 400 CE lake retreat and Christian closure
- Rediscovered
- 1935 Vogliano; south harbour 2006 Munich
- Excavation
- Buried
c. 1991 BCE
Amenemhat III founds Renenutet temple at Narmouthis
c. 260 BCE
Ptolemaic dromos quay and lake basin canalised
1935–2006
Vogliano and Munich map south lake harbour
On the ground
Structures & features
29.1950° N · 30.6450° E · -5 m · 3 mapped features
Processional Dromos Quay (45 m)
dromosDromos quay 45 m at +0.2 m southern approach
29.1955° N · 30.6455° ESilted Lake Anchorage Basin (70 m)
basinBasin 70 m at –1.5 m under causeway
29.1950° N · 30.6450° E12th Dynasty Temple Foundation (25×18 m)
templeTemple 25×18 m at +1.5 m with column bases
29.1945° N · 30.6452° E