Dush, Egypt

View of the Interior of the Temple of Dush

Dush, Egypt, located about 125 kilometers south of Kharga deep in the Sahara Desert of Egypt was, in ancient times, Kysis, a border town that held a garrisoned fortress to protect a small community with a cultivated area. Few of Egypt's ruins are more remote, but this was a major military installation during the Roman Period of Egyptian history at its location where five ancient desert tracks met.

Today, the area is strewn with thousands upon thousands of potsherds mixed in among two ancient temples and several cemeteries including about 150 Ottoman tombs, attesting to the continued use of the site. The area was excavated by the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale or IFAO, whose dig house is at the base of the hill.

The town itself probably existed before the Greek Period, perhaps even with temporary settlements dating back to the Old Kingdom (possibly the 4th Dynasty), and there is evidence that the community was of great importance, having a rather robust merchant class who traded with the caravans that passed by going both north-south and east-west. There were also potters, jewelers, metal workers and other craftsmen, as well as schools, and gaming houses filled with good food and wine from the excellent oasis grapes, to fill the need of the soldiers. The ancient town is scattered over the hillside around the fortress. The discovery of an elaborate system of clay pipes, irrigation channels and a Christian church suggests that the town was abandoned when its wells dried up, some time after the forth century AD.

View of the Gateway of the Temple of Dush.

Abutting the Roman fortress on the eastern side are the remains of a sandstone temple, originally dedicated to Osiris, who the Greeks transformed into Serapis, and also to the goddess Isis.

The main temple at Dush dedicated to Osiris (Serapis) and Isis and was probably erected under the reign of Domitian, enlarged by Trajan, who added a courtyard, and then partly decorated and further enlarged by the Emperor Hadrian during the 1st to 2nd centuries AD. Though there are actually few decorations, the temple is believed to have been covered in gold. However, all three Roman Emperors are depicted in scenes carved on the temple walls.

A monumental stone gateway fronts the temple and contains a dedicatory inscription by Trajan dated to 116 AD, as well as graffiti by Cailliaud (who claimed to be the first European traveler to reach the site) and other nineteenth century travelers. To the north is a large forecourt containing five columns with a pylon at its northern end. The main part of the temple measures about 7.5 by 15.5 meters and contains a pillared hall with four slender columns, a staircase to the roof, an offering table in an outer chamber and an inner sanctuary with a vaulted roof. Two long side chambers also had barrel-vaulted roofs. A taller pronaos was later added to the front of the main building.

Dush Treasure

A French archaeological team excavating in March 1989 in one of the magazine complexes at Dush on the west side of the temple unearthed a magnificent collection of artifacts, now known as the Dush Treasure, which was originally placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The treasure has today been moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Initially, they discovered a linen wrapped gilded statuette of Isis, along with a small bronze figure of Horus dressed as a Roman legionary and a bronze figure of Osiris. Nearby, they also found a large, loose-lidded pottery jar which had been concealed by masonry. It contained a hoard of magnificent gold religious jewelry and votive objects. These objects had clearly been gathered for safety and hidden in the jar during the 4th to 5th centuries AD. The religious objects are of the highest quality craftsmanship and include a golden crown depicting the Roman god Serapis, as well as bracelets and pendants of gold and semi-precious stones. These items have provided scholars with valuable information about Roman worship in Egypt.

External links

• Dush, the Temple, Fortress and Ancient Town of Kysis near the Kharga Oasis of Egypt by J. Dunn