Temple of Mentuhotep

Luxor West Bank - Temples

The Temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre - Mentuhotep Nebhepetre was the Theban ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt at the end of the First Intermediate Period and the founder of the 11th dynasty. Although there were tombs from the First Intermediate Period on the West Bank of Thebes, Mentuhotep Nebhepetre was the first known king to build a whole funerary complex, which contained, among other things, his tomb. The place chosen by the ruler was in a bay in the cliffs known as Deir el-Bahari. Today Deir el-Bahari is better known for the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which was built on the adjoining site and modelled her mortuary temple on his earlier structure.

Although the funerary monument was known from the 19th century, it was not properly excavated until 1968.
The architecture of the temple was unique for the period. It was built on a multi-level platform that combines elements of earlier saff-tombs and the traditional old funerary complex.

Originally there was a valley temple, which now lies below the cultivated surface on the West Bank. Open ramps led up to a large tree-lined causeway (the ramp and tree-pits are still visible). At the entrance there is a deep shaft now named "Bab el-Hosan" (Gate of the Horse). This was an actual part of the Mentuhotep complex, and inside was found the famous linen that wrapped the seated sandstone statue of Mentuhotep II in heb-sed dress, now in the Museum in Cairo. There are many theories about what "Bab el-Hosan" was, but it is generally thought it may originally have been intended as the tomb of the king, but was converted into a symbolic tomb of Osiris.
The Temple of Mentuhotep has a complex structure, and the fact that it is rather small makes interpretation difficult. The decoration seems to indicate the growing influence of Osiris as a funerary god in this period, and combines both traditional and innovative elements. The ancient name was "Akh-sut-Nebhepetre" (Splendid are the places of worship of Mentuhotep).