Elephantine monumental staircase
As nilometer acting monumental staircase of Elephantine lies on the eastern bank of the Nile to the eastern Elephantine -Nilinsel as Prozessionsbau at the edge of the old docks of Elephantine in the immediate vicinity of Satis Temple . It was also the starting point for the annual Nile flood processions . The date of construction has not yet been reliably determined, so that estimates are available for the period from 139 AD to the third century AD.
The monumental staircase, framed by two high platforms, had the character of a ritual nilometer in contrast to the other two kilometers of the Satis and Khnum temples . The lower base zone is divided into sections of one cubit each, starting with the value “ twelve cubits ” and ending at “16 cubits”. The upper area of the flight of stairs (17 cubits to just below the 22nd cubit) shows reliefs of the resting god Hapi . In addition, scales up to a height of 24 cubits are attached above.
The deep location of this structure is remarkable, as during normal Nile floods the lower areas were regularly flooded up to the upper platform of the Nile god . High floods of the Nile caused the entire structure to be flooded.
See also
literature
- Stephan Seidlmayer : Historic and modern Nile stands. Investigations into the level readings of the Nile from the early days to the present . Achet, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-9803-7308-8 , p. 56.
Coordinates: 24 ° 5 ′ 9 ″ N , 32 ° 53 ′ 15 ″ E