Ancient site · Minya
Speos Artemidos
Two rock-cut temples in the Nile's eastern cliffs near Beni Hasan, dedicated to the goddess Pakhet, one built by Queen Hatshepsut.
The story
The site lies about 2 km south of the Beni Hasan tombs and is today the village of Istabl Antar. Champollion identified it as the Grotto of Artemis known to the ancient Greeks, who equated the goddess Pakhet with Artemis. There are two rock-cut temples dedicated to Pakhet, one built by Hatshepsut and bearing a long inscription in which she denounces the Hyksos. In places the name of Seti I replaced hers, and nearby stands a small shrine with the name of Alexander IV.
Good to know
- The name means "Grotto of Artemis" in Greek, as the Greeks identified the goddess Pakhet with Artemis.
- Hatshepsut's temple is cut from the living rock and has two chambers joined by a short passage.
- Its outer portico originally had eight stone columns in two rows; only three of the four facade columns remain relatively intact.