Qubbet el-Hawa

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Qubbet el-Hawa

Qubbet el-Hawa (from Arabic Qubba , "dome" and Hawa , "wind") is a rocky mountain near Aswan , Egypt . It is about 130 meters high and is known for a necropolis from ancient Egyptian times . On the southern tip of the mountain is the mausoleum of the Muslim Sheikh Sidi Ali Bin el-Hawa , from whom the mountain got its current name. It is a white pavilion with a dome that is easy to see from a distance . Further down are the Coptic monastery ruins of St. George.

You can get to the rock graves via two stairs running next to each other . The graves of the necropolis lie in three rows one above the other halfway up the mountain slope. Qubbet el-Hawa is the necropolis of senior officials in the area. About 80 graves have been found on the hill so far.

The ancient Egyptian necropolis with the graves of the Old and Middle Kingdom has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 as part of the “Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae ” .

history

View from Elephantine Island

Burials took place from the time of the Old Kingdom to the Greco-Roman times . Most of the rock tombs were created between the 6th and 12th dynasties . Abu, as the island of Elephantine was called at that time, was the border town of the Egyptians to the land of the Nubians and a large and important trading post and administrative seat on the border with black Africa . The administrator ( governor ) was also the commander in chief of the armed forces stationed there .

The rock tombs were first mentioned in 1819 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (also known as Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abdallah ) in his work Travels in Nubia . In 1885 excavations began on the Qubbet el-Hawa. The British Sir Francis Grenfell first excavated some graves from 1885 to 1886 and in 1892 the Italian Ernesto Schiaparelli continued the excavations. Among other things, he discovered the tomb of Her-chuf . Jacques de Morgan unearthed other graves around 1894. From 1903 to 1904, Lady William Cecil dug some graves in the row above.

In 1946, the Egyptologist Labib Habachi began his excavations, which lasted until 1951. In 1959, the Egyptian seminar in Bonn began new excavations under the direction of Elmar Edel , which continued until 1984. Furthermore, were EAT Wallis Budge , Mohi El-Din and Michael R. Jenkins participated in the excavations. Current excavations are carried out by Karl Seyfried ( DAI ).

Architecture of the rock tombs

South-east side of the Qubbet el-Hawa with the rock tombs and the Roman fortress

The rock graves are carved into the natural stone . The later pillars or columns were left standing. Cracks and other bumps were plastered with mortar made from a lime-sand mixture. There are also remains of stucco decorations on the walls of some graves .

These are "broad-space graves". This is a different shape from the shape used in Egypt at all other times. Excavations from later epochs are generally "long graves". The entrance to all the Qubbet el-Hawa graves is roughly in the middle of the main chamber (also the cult room ). In the main chamber there are pillars or pillars that support the ceiling. There are some atria in front of the main chambers.

Under some of the main chambers there is a so-called serdab (cellar), which was used as a statue room. Most of the graves have slits in the floor or niches in the side walls where statues have also been found. The actual grave room is usually at the end of a tunnel or shaft , behind a false door (a partially or completely walled-up passage).

Some graves have small side rooms or have additional false doors directly in the main chamber, behind which family members were buried. In some graves, the false door to the main chamber is placed deeper into the shaft, so that a small niche was created in front of it. This niche, also known as the “main cult niche”, is usually directly opposite the entrance. Sacrificial altars or tables were found in the cult rooms of the larger graves.

The main graves

Rock tombs below the tomb of Sidi Ali Bin el-Hawa

The graves described here are sorted by grave number. In addition to these graves, there are a number of other graves where the owner of the grave has been found, but also many unknown or unassigned graves.

Mechu and Sabni

Graves 25 and 26 are connected graves that belong to father and son. They too date from the time of Pepi II ( 6th dynasty ). They must have been very wealthy families, as the two staircases from the Nile belong to these graves . Mechu and Sabni were nomarchs of Elephantine.
Mechu ( Mhw )
inscriptions on the outside wall are missing and the entrance is very simple. At the time the grave was built, the outer wall was covered with stucco, as can be seen from the remains of the covering. The three rows of six columns each indicate the wealth of its owner. The grave is about 150 m². The main front door is on the back wall, behind a cult niche. A granite sacrificial table stands in front of the cult niche in the main chamber. There are another four false doors in the complex, two in the west, one in the south and one next to the main false door on the back wall. Mechu bore the titles of “Head of Foreign Countries”, “Hereditary Prince” and “Only Friend”. He led expeditions to the areas of Nubia. During the last expedition to Wawat , he was killed in the desert . His son Sabni set out (according to the epitaph) with 100 donkeys, the foundation crew, ointment oil , honey and linen to rescue his father.
Sabni ( S3bnj )
The tomb of Sabni is about 120 m². The ceiling rests on 14 pillars in two rows. Along with that of his father, this grave is one of the largest in the complex. Like his father, Sabni was Gaufürst, he carried the titles of “prince”, “bearer of the royal seal”, “governor of the land of the south”, “sole companion” and “ritual priest”. The inscriptions on the walls of the tomb show that the pharaoh (Pepi II) made a generous gift as a reward for recovering the body of his father Sabni. Among other things, he received ointment, food, and the best embalmers in the country were sent to him. On the back wall of the tomb Sabni is shown with his daughters catching birds and fishing. It is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved wall paintings on the Qubbet el-Hawa.

Sobek-Hotep

Sbk-htp, grave 29; The grave of Sobek-Hotep is about 15 m². The ceiling is supported by a pillar in the middle of the main chamber. The pillar hides the view of the false door opposite the entrance. Two more shafts lead from the main chamber. Most of the grave inscriptions have been destroyed. Together with the inscriptions on the 55 pots found, it was enough to identify the grave owner. The tomb also dates from the era of Pharaoh Pepi II.

Hekaib

Hq3-jb, grave 30; The grave of Hekaib is approx. 78 m² in size, the ceiling rests on six pillars arranged in two rows. The cult niche with the associated false door is opposite the entrance. It is about 30 cm higher than the main chamber and is covered with a layer of stucco and painted. Two other grave shafts were found in the main chamber. The inscriptions in the cult niche are in poor condition, but the owner of the grave and one of his titles "Head of the Priests of God" could be determined from them. A chronological classification in the 6th dynasty was also possible.

Anch-nef-itef

Grave 30b; The grave of Ankh-nef-itef is about 10 m², the ceiling is held by only one pillar. The grave has a grave shaft with an associated coffin chamber. From the main chamber there is a small "window" into a secondary chamber, which probably served as a kind of storage room. The 15 found pots provide information about the grave owner and the time in which he lived. The grave nobly dates to the first interim period. No inscriptions or paintings were found in the grave. Ankh-nef-itef bears the title "Captain".

Chunes

hwjns-hnmtj sm3, grave 34h; A grave from the VI. Dynasty. This architecturally elaborate tomb has various tunnels and chambers, it is approx. 85 m² in size and the ceiling is supported by eight pillars. Here were Chunes and his wife buried, suggesting a special connection between the two, because most of the women were in the cemetery buried at Elephantine.

Her-chuf

Hrw-hwj.f, also Herchuf or Harchuf, grave 34n; The main chamber has a size of approx. 25 m², the ceiling is supported by three pillars. This grave dates from the reign of Pepi II (around 2300 BC) in the VI. Dynasty. Her-chuf bears the title “Head of all western and eastern foreign countries”. The addition to the title "who brings the products of all foreign countries to his master" is also recorded. " Chief of Upper Egypt " was another title he carried. This title was borne by a prince, for example. He was also “ bearer of the royal seal ”, “ reading priest ” and “ army commander ”. The records in the grave show that Her-chuf and his father (Iri) led various expeditions to Jam (northern Nubia) and Libya under King Merenre . From this he came back with "holy oil", ivory , grain , animals and other objects. In another inscription, Pepi II thanks him (in his second year of reign) for having Her-chuf a "dwarf of the god dancers from the land of the horizon dwellers" (probably a short Nubian or a man from the Akka people from Sudan Pygmy can be excluded as the expeditions never went so far into the interior of Africa to reach such tribes) would like to bring with them.

Heqa-ib Pepi night

Hk3-jb Pjpj-nht, grave 35d; There are three graves on Qubbet el-Hawa, the owners of which are named Heqa-ib . Heqa-ib in grave 35d lived at the time of Pepis II. Grave 35 was also created by him (according to Edel), but then abandoned because of its small size. He was titled "Army Chief", "Chief of Interpreters", "Clerk at the Pyramid of Neferkare" and "Chief of Foreign Countries". In 1947 Labib Habachi found a cult hall below the grave, adorned with well-preserved wall paintings. In the immediate vicinity of the tomb, many small graves from the same period were found, which suggests that this Heqa-ib is the one who was venerated as a "saint" in later times.

Sabni II

S3bnj nj-nbw-nbt, grave 35e; In the forecourt to the tomb of Heqa-ib is the entrance to the tomb of Sabni II. Next to it there is another tomb in which a man named Sabni was buried. The magnificent wall paintings show Sabni, among other things, with the ruler's staff and HRP scepter and the typical beard of the officials. Another inscription describes how Sabni had two obelisks created and transported to their destination. He bears the title "Overseer of the Hall" (presumably the "Larder of the King"), "Keeper of the Seal of the King of Lower Egypt". The grave is approx. 60 m² in size, the ceiling is supported by four pillars

Sarenput I.

S3-rnpwt, grave 36; The grave of Prince Sarenput I is one of the oldest from the Middle Kingdom. Sarenput I was appointed Prince of Elephantine by King Sesostris I. The grave inscriptions clearly show the devotion of the princes to the king from this time. But the king also assures himself of the loyalty of his guest prince.

Henebaba

Grave 88; The tomb of Henebaba is nowhere near as magnificent as that of the princes of Elephantine. The main chamber is relatively small, the ceiling is supported by four pillars. The tomb is almost square in shape. Four tunnels lead away from the main chamber, the burial chambers behind were filled with a total of 434 pots. There are no inscriptions in the whole grave, only the pots have rich archaeological finds. In addition to the pots, other small objects, jewelry, pearls and vases were found.

Sobek-Hotep

Sbk-htp, grave 89; It is one of the larger graves, about 80 m². The ceiling is supported by 13 pillars. The 185 pots found in the grave show that the grave dates from the time of Pepis II. Sobek-Hotep bore the title " Gottessiegler ". The skeleton of the grave owner revealed an epigenetic indication that he came from outside and that several of his descendants are buried on the Qubbet-el-Haua.

Ischemai

Yy-sm3. Grave 98. The cult chamber consists of a large room (6.67 × 3.48 × 7.91 m) and is supported by three pillars. In four places in the cult chamber there are rectangular fields that are decorated with relief and paintings. The colors are well preserved. Ischemai can be seen standing on a pillar, and on a wall he can be seen standing with two priests. The third field shows him with subordinates bringing cattle. The fourth field shows him standing again with a priest and an offering briner coming towards him from the left. Ischemai bears various titles in the accompanying inscriptions. He is “royal sealer”, “only friend”, “reading priest” and “great head of the king”.

Set-Ka

Stj.k3 jj-sm3, grave 110; The grave has a size of approx. 70 m², the ceiling is supported by two rows of eight pillars each. This tomb has a window in the outer wall that was carved into the wall in a later period when the tomb was used as a Coptic monastery. On the side opposite the entrance there are two cult niches with the corresponding false doors. This leads to the assumption that this is also a double grave, which can no longer be clarified. A sacrificial table that previously stood in front of the cult niche on the right now leans against the wall of the main chamber. According to Habachi, the grave was created in the 1st interim period. Inscriptions and wall paintings have been partially destroyed, others in very poor condition. But it emerges from them that Set-Ka had the following titles: "Overseer of the priests of the pyramid Pepi II.", "Overseer of the foreign countries" and "Agent in Nubia".

literature

  • Elmar Edel : The rock tombs of the Qubbet el-Hawa near Aswan. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1967–1971.
  • Elmar Edel: Harchuf's travelogues (Hrw-hwff) in his grave at Qubbet el-Hawa (34n). Berlin 1955.
  • Elmar Edel: Contributions to the inscriptions of the Middle Kingdom in the tombs of the Qubbet el-Hawa. Berlin 1971.
  • Elmar Edel: Ancient Egyptian royal tombs near Aswan. Excavations on the Qubbet el-Hawa. Berlin 1966.
  • Elmar Edel: The rock tomb necropolis of Qubbet el Hawa near Aswan / 1. Architecture, representations, texts, archaeological findings and finds from the graves. Written from the estate and edited. from Karl-J. Seyfried and Gerd Vieler. Schönringh, Paderborn 2008, ISBN 978-3-506-76343-3 .
  • Alan Gardiner : History of Ancient Egypt. Kröner, Stuttgart 1965.
  • Labib Habachi : 16 Studies on Lower Nubia. In: Annales du services des Antiquities de l'Egypte. (ASAE) No. 23, 1981.
  • Labib Habachi: The Sanctuary of Heqaib (= Archaeological Publications, German Archaeological Institute. Cairo Department. Volume 33). von Zabern, Mainz 1985, ISBN 3-8053-0496-X .
  • Michael Höveler-Müller : Finds from grave 88 of the Qubbet el-Hawa near Aswan. (The Bonn holdings), Wiesbaden 2006.
  • MR Jenkins: Notes on the Tomb of Setka at Qubbett el-Hawa, Aswan. In: Bulletin of the Australian Center for Egyptology. (BACE) Volume 11, Sydney 1999 pp. 67-81.
  • Jacques de Morgan : Catalog des monuments et inscriptions de l'Egypte antique. Ser. 1, Haute Égypte Tome 3 Kom Ombos, 2nd partie. Holzhausen, Leipzig / Vienna 1894.
  • Hans Wolfgang Müller: The rock graves of the princes of Elephantine from the time of the Middle Kingdom. Augustin, Glückstadt u. a. 1940.
  • Bertha Porter , Rosalind LB Moss : Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings. V. Upper Egypt. Sites (Deir Rîfa to Aswân, excluding Thebes and the Temples of Abydos, Dendera, Esna, Edfu, Kôm Ombo and Philae) e. Clarendon, Oxford 1937, pp. 231–242 ( PDF; 15.5 MB ).
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Rösing : Qubbet el-Hawa and Elephantine. On the population history of Egypt. Fischer, Stuttgart / New York 1990, ISBN 3-437-50325-1 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Friedrich Wilhelm Rösing: Qubbet el-Hawa and Elephantine. On the population history of Egypt. 1990.
  2. ^ Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae. whc.unesco.org, accessed April 26, 2015 (ID 88-006: Old and Middle Kingdom Tombs ).
  3. ↑ Kurt Sethe (ed.): Documents of the old empire. (= Documents of Egyptian antiquity. Volume 1). Leipzig 1933, p. 131ff.
  4. ↑ L. Habachi: The immortal obelisks of Egypt (= cultural history of the ancient world. Vol. 11). von Zabern, Mainz 1982, ISBN 3-8053-0581-8 , p.
  5. ↑ Marco Chioffi, Giuliana Rigamonti: Qubbet el-Hawa, la tomba rupestre di Ishemai. 2nd edition, Imola, La Mandragora 2014, ISBN 978-88-7586-424-8 .

Web links

Commons : Qubbet el-Hawa  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 24 ° 6 ′ 9 ″  N , 32 ° 53 ′ 20 ″  E