The main monument at Wannina is a temple dedicated to the lion goddess
Repyt who was called Triphis during Greek and Roman times. A
processional way leads to remains of a massive gateway built by
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, who also began the construction of a temple
against the slope of a hill, but there are few remains in situ. An
older granite temple dated to King Haaibre (Apries) of Dynasty XXVI
stands behind this. The temple of Apries was enclosed by a
construction of Ptolemy IX Soter II (Physcon), with a pylon and an
enclosure wall.
A Roman birth-house lies to the north-west, at right-angles to the
axis of the main temple and this building was begun by Ptolemy XII
Auletes (also called Neos Dionysos) and finished during the Roman
Period by the Emperor Hadrian. The large birth-house, dedicated to
Triphis, measures 45m by 75m and is fronted by a pronaos with two rows
of six pillars, which is still in a good state of preservation. Behind
the pronaos is an open court which may have been surrounded by a
colonnade. Several Roman emperors had their names carved on these
buildings, which were later quarried for use in the construction of
the nearby 'White Monastery'.
On the side of the hill there is also a Graeco-Roman rock-cut temple
dedicated to Asklepios. Its façade contained columns with
palm-capitals and some remains of these are still in situ. A
forecourt, two rock-cut chambers and a cult statue niche lay behind
the façade.
In the nearby cemetery site there is a Ptolemaic tomb called the
'Zodiac Tomb'. Belonging to the brothers Ibpemeny 'the younger' and
Pemehyt, this important tomb has two zodiacs on its ceiling and dates
to the late 2nd century AD. |
