Esna was the ancient city of Senat, called Latopolis by the Greeks. The “town of the fish” where the Nile perch was worshipped. Nowadays, Esna is very famous for its river barrage and as a result, it is a stop over for most of the cruise boats. However, the Temple of Esna, which was buried beneath debris that accumulated for many centuries, is situated in the centre of the city, close to the River Nile, and to reach it you should pass through the local market. The Temple of Esna is located to 485 miles (776Km) south of Cairo and lies on the west bank of the Nile.
The Temple of Esna is dedicated to the ram headed God Khnum, the God of creation. The god Khnum was worshiped at Esna as the Creator. He embodied all things, and was closely associated with the process of conception. It was built in Greco-Roman times by the Ptolemies. The temple remains consist only of the first hypostyle hall of columns. Also the remains of the Temple contain a hall of columns, with only 24 pillars, beautifully decorated with lotus and palm capitals. The walls are covered with four rows of relief’s, showing Ptolemaic and Roman Emperors dressed in Pharaoh costumes, sacrificing to the God of the Temple. On both sides of the Temple entrance there are chambers that were used by the priests and keepers of the Temple as storerooms.
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