Oracle Temple at Siwa

Historical background

The Temple of Amun stands on the 30 m high hill of Aghurmi (now known as Gebel El-Medina), 4 km east of the modern town of Siwa. Its story is one of two cultures living warily side by side, and of the coronation of a Macedonian king, Alexander the Great, as ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The temple was built by the Twenty-sixth Dynasty ruler Amasis (Ahmose II) as part of the building projects of the Saite period. It became important when Alexander the Great came to seek the recognition of the god Amun. Alexander showed great respect for Egyptian religious traditions and was keen to take the standard royal title of divine son of Amun.

According to the records, Cambyses (525–522 BC), the Persian king who invaded Egypt in the Twenty-seventh Dynasty, sent an army to march on Siwa. All 50,000 soldiers were lost in the desert before they reached the oasis. This was seen as the revenge of Amun, and the temple’s reputation spread across the eastern Mediterranean.

So, as part of building his political image, Alexander crossed the Wide Sand Sea to this remote site, more than 700 km west of the Nile, and climbed the fairly flat-topped rock on which the temple of Amun stands.

Structure of the temple

A large rectangular court leads to three chapels, one after another, dedicated to several gods, including the Theban triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Wall scenes show King Amasis making offerings to various gods. The main chapel of Amun is known as the Oracle Chapel of Alexander the Great, and standing where the oracle is said to have spoken still feels mysterious.

The temple lost its importance after the Roman occupation. It was rediscovered in the early 1900s and excavated by the Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Fakhry.