Tanis

Capital new Tanis and necropolis royal

Recent work with Tanis, makes it possible to have a clearer vision of the ancient city which lived at the rate/rhythm of the vicissitudes of the history of the third intermediate period then of the Low time. In addition to the temple of Amon which was decorated from at least eleven Obélisque S placed per pairs or by group, the enclosure comprised a crowned lake and the necropolis royal which was used by the Pharaons of and dynasties. An enclosure devoted to Mout is next to the enclosure of Amon.

The principal temple is devoted to Amon and its foundation dates of although traces located on the site suggest that an initial establishment existed with the Nouvel Empire. This large temple did not cease being embellished by the sovereigns of the following dynasties following the example temple of Amon-Re of Karnak.

Indeed like him, the East-West directed temple occupies the center of the principal enclosure of the site of Tanis. Extending over a length of almost 400 meters for a frontage to 100 meters width, it opened in the west by a large gate built by Sheshonq {{III}} framed colossi and royal statues which was followed by before court preceding a first pylon built by Osorkon {{II}}. In this forecourt, a palmiform colonnade forming a monumental kiosk preceded a first pair by obelisks. These columns monoliths are probably re-employments of the old empire like much of found elements with Tanis. Indeed the capital was built using materials of other cities like in particular those of pi-Ramsès, the capital of Ramsès {{II}}, and of Avaris city which was next to this same site. Elements of its old temple of Seth were found in Tanis and the large door of Sheshonq consists of sometimes colossal blocks which carry to the back the hidden decorations from now on temples of the capital of and.

The royal tombs whose site is right in the south of before court marked a displacement of the necropolis royal in the middle of the dynastic temple. This choice signs one new period for the royal dynasties which will follow one another then in Egypt. Indeed, the abandonment of Thèbes as of as necropolis royal official completed to turn the page of the Nouvel Empire and of the era ramesside which had been seen plunged in a chaos and an insecurity such as the priests of Amon themselves under the pontificate of the large priests Hérihor and Pinedjem hid the royal skins in two different places, attesting that as of this time the royal treasures had been plundered. The royalty had been definitively fixed in the middle of the Delta, already with pi-Ramsès with the two preceding dynasties, and when she was asserted by Smendès claiming succession of the last of the Ramsès, the choice was made found a new capital which would include/understand in its heart the necropolis royal, guarantees of a recovered safety.

From this time the royal tombs will be systematically installed in the temples of the various capitals which followed one another, and in that the Ptolémées continued but this time at Alexandria, the example of the Pharaons.

The discovery of the tombs of and S confirmed on the one hand the old texts which also attest a necropolis royal with Know, but light one day new this period which by many regards is the worthy heiress of the time ramesside although this heritage was re-used mainly for purposes of the new monarchs.

Indeed, their tombs comprise also blocks in the name of Ramsès {{II}} and of its successors, who were output and recut to form the internal walls of the burials decorated for the new sovereigns. In the same way the majority of the obelisks come from the city of Ramsès.

One can still distinguish today the principal parts of the temple thanks to the presence from these large Obélisque S - broken down - which marked different the pylons like other temples in solar matter (see Thèbes and Héliopolis). Besides they form one of the most spectacular aspects of the site of Tanis. The archeologists counted a score of it.

This accumulation of vestiges of various times took part in the confusion of the first archeologists who transfer in Tanis the city of biblical times in which Hebrew would have undergoes the slavery of Pharaon. Pierre Montet by inaugurating his large excavation campaigns in the years 1930 left the same postulate thus hoping to discover the traces which would confirm the accounts of the Old Testament. Its excavations were going little by little to cancel this assumption even if he were still a long time the defender. It was necessary to await the discovery of Qantir/pi-Ramsès so that the place of Tanis is finally restored in the long chronology of the sites of the delta.

Beyond the first pylon going back to Osorkon {{II}} was a second court with again a pair of Obélisque S preceding a second pylon which one dates from the Pharaon Siamon from.

Finally a third pylon opening on the temple which did not comprise less than four obelisks and which gave on a second axis, this North-South time, marking the site of a temple that one allots to Khonsou - Néferhotep, the divine child of the triad amonienne and which would date essentially from the time of Nectanébo {{Ier}} from. The temple of Amon continued towards the east and reached the sanctuary properly spoken but whose only foundations and some bases arrived to us. As for much of sites of Low-Egypt this temple was used as career at the centuries which followed the Roman period. Thus almost all the buildings built out of limestone disappeared in the lime kilns or construction from new buildings. Only the blocks of granite or sandstone remained because unusable on the spot. That explains the ungrateful aspect of the sites of the delta compared with the sites of High-Egypt.

Other obelisks joined with the limestone wall enclosing the sanctuary and which was built or rebuilt by Nectanébo {{Ier}}, marked the site of a " against-temple" certainly devoted to the god in his solar form of Amon-Re, as to Karnak, and was to thus open on the East.

Beyond this part of the temple, gone back essentially to its founder Psousennès {{Ier}} who built the first believed brick enclosure, existed a temple comprising to him also a court with a kiosk with columns monoliths of Osorkon II. This temple of the East, is the object currently project of anastylose which would make it possible to somewhat restore its monumental aspect within the framework of the tourist development of the site.

Not far in the south from this zone and opening in the East also, a temple devoted to Horus of Mesen which would go back to Siamon, was thus at the time outside the enclosure of Amon, then with was included with its perimeter when Nectanébo rebuilt the enclosure, increasing it considerably, as it did it for Karnak with Thèbes.

Thèbes of North

More in the principal south of the Tel. which recovers the ancient city, another enclosure of which it does not remain that the foundations was excavated recently and revealed that a worship with Amon of Aperture was returned there, following the example Louxor for Amon of Karnak thus coming to validate the assumption of a " copie" of Thèbes. The city was the dynastic capital of the time as Thèbes was it for the preceding dynasties. Processions similar to the Grande Festival of Opet were to be carried out by the king and his wife thus perpetuating the traditional worships. The Pharaon S of Tanis showed thus that they legitimately occupied the throne of their prestigious ancestors.

This temple completely shaven at one vague time, to its foundations then was covered little by little by the city which erased the memory of it. One discovered there a strange statue of a singer of Amon of Aperture sitting on the side but of which only the lower part is preserved with her base and inscriptions.

This destruction marks a new development of the city. With the last dynasties and the lagides another temple dedicated to the Horus of Mesen was built near the enclosure of Amon. He also comprises a large colonnade whose ten granite columns monoliths were identified.

It is also of this time that date the last state of the temple of Mout which was rebuilt by Ptolémée {{IV}}. A large colonnade precedes the large door which opened on North, as for the temple by Mout to Thèbes. This monumental door goes back on the other hand to Siamon, showing thus that as of its Tanis design was thought like Thèbes of North.

The sovereigns lagides thus embellished this large city which was to be already a true museum in the open air so much it included/understood moved monuments, literally recomposed old preceding temples on the site or imported old Pharaonic cities including sites of the surroundings of the Cairo and Fayoum. It is of Tanis that come a great number of the statues and columns which decorate the collections of the large museums including Egyptian Musée of Cairo, like the famous sphinx from Amenemhat {{III}} of, whose leonine aspect is so singular.

The city kept importance until the Roman epoch and was the seat of one évêché thereafter at the time of the Christian period. With the Arab conquest it fell little by little in the general lapse of memory whose the cities suffered from the Eastern delta, following the draining or to displacement from the arm which was next to the city. Victim of the same calamities as sudden in its time the city of the Ramsès, it disappeared under the blows from the carriers and extraordinary accumulation from the various continuous levels from occupation from the city which during more than 1500 years transformed it into a high hill which still remains to be excavated. In addition to, also its capital had there it.

The archaeological mission which works on the spot is the French Mission of the excavations of Tanis (MFFT). The French company of the excavations of Tanis (SFFT) is an association of support founded to help the mission.

External bonds

French company of the excavations of Tanis
Excavations of Tanis
Photographs of Tanis

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