The ceiling frescoes of the temple of Khnum in the Egyptian city of Esna were covered in soot and grime for two millennia, safeguarding the colors beneath. Archeologists’ meticulous restoration effort has now brought these amazing works of art back to life. The paintings feature 46 depictions of vultures, each symbolizing the Upper Egyptian vulture goddess Nekhbet and the Lower Egyptian snake goddess Wadjet, who is likewise shown as a vulture with spread wings but wears a cobra’s head and wears the Lower Egyptian crown. Upper Egypt’s crown is worn by Nekhbet.
The repair was carried out by the University of Tübingen’s Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Since 2018, they’ve started striving to restore the frescoes’ original hues. Professor Christian Leitz of the University of Tübingen stated in a statement that “temples and ancient images of the gods were typically painted in dazzling hues, but they have usually faded or even gone completely as a consequence of external factors.”
The temple was devoted to Khnum, the ram-headed god who was worshipped as the god of the Nile’s source. Khnum and his spouse Neith are revered as the gods of creation in Esna. The construction of the religious structure began during the Ptolemaic period, although the majority of the remaining portions date from the Roman era, most likely during Emperor Claudius’ reign (41-54 CE). The temple piqued archeologists’ curiosity during Napoleon’s reign, but it wasn’t until the late nineteenth century that a more thorough investigation started.
“The temple’s whole spectrum of pictures is exceptional in its abundance of figures and the quality of preservation of the colors,” stated Tübingen scientist Dr. Daniel von Recklinghausen. “We can see all the ornamental pieces in connection to one another for the first time,” Leitz remarked. “With Sauneron’s publishing alone, this was impossible.”
The American Research Center in Egypt, the Ancient Egypt Foundation, and the Gerda Henkel Foundation all contributed to the restoration. The team is now working on translating all of the Esna inscriptions and researching the relationship between all of the temple’s pictures and writing. The German research foundation is funding this next project.
