TO THE TEMPLE COMPLEX
The Herui Nome is the 5th Nome of Upper Egypt
THE GOD MIN IN THE
CITY OF GEBTU
Northern Temple at Gebtu Senwosret 1 Holding a hep and oar befor the god Min.
The town of Gebtu was the capital of the 5th Upper Egyptian nome. The town's importance was because of its geographical location : it was here that the trading expeditions set off for the Red Sea coast. Many mining expeditions into the eastern desert also left from here. Gebtu soon became the most important religious centre of the area. The god Min, the local deity, was also adopted as the god of the desert region to the east. Isis and Horus also became important, especially during the Graeco-Roman period; one of the reasons for this was the interpretation of the two falcons of the Herui nome standard as Horus and Min.
Monuments discovered at Gebtu cover the whole period of Egyptian history. The largely undecorated temple of Min in the north, which still stands, was the work of an official called Sennuu, on behalf of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, with some later additions by Ptolemy Philopater, Caligula and Nero. The temple stands on the site of earlier structures .
The site of the Middle Temple also has a long history. A gate of Tutmosis III was found, plus a set of stelae dating to the 6th and 7th dynasties, with copies of royal decrees concerning the temple and its personnel. The Middle Temple itself was built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus. At the Southern Temple, gates by Claudius and Caligula; and a chapel of Cleopatra VII Philopator and Ptolemy XV Caesarion were found. Claudius built a small temple to Min, Isis and Horus to the northeast of the city..