The Pharaonic and classical religious complexes and the cult of Tutu

Colin Hope, Gillian Bowen, Olaf Kaper

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (Book)Researchpeer-review

    Abstract

    The temples of Egypt throughout the dynastic and Ptolemaic periods played a significant role within the community on all levels. While control over them was tightened during the Roman period, they were still a major component of life throughout the country, whether in the urban centres or the rural villages. When Kellis was established in the first century it needed a major deity or deities to protect it and bring prosperity to the village. Tutu/Tithoes had been revered in the Nile valley since the Late Period (Kaper 2003a), and as a protector from malign forces he was seen as a suitable divine force to preside over Kellis. The temples may well, therefore, have been amongst the first formal structures erected in the village. They appear to have been in use for the worship of the village's gods until the early fourth century, by which time the vast majority of Egypt's temples had also been closed.

    The religious complexes identified at Kellis comprise two in which the indigenous religious beliefs were celebrated, namely the Main Temple and West Temple, and one of classical inspiration, the Nymphaeum. The Main Temple is set within Enclosure 1, the largest walled space on the site. Whether other religious structures are located elsewhere is currently uncertain, though this is indicated by the suggestion that the large domestic building B/3/1 (Chapters 2 and 3) was the location of activity by a guild dedicated to Isis. The cult in the Main Temple focused upon Tutu, associated with his mother Neith, one of Egypt's most ancient deities, and consort Tapsais, along with other co-templar deities, while the West Temple appears to have been dedicated to Neith and Tapsais. The veneration of Tapsais is only encountered at Kellis. The Main Temple complex is exceptional as it is the only known temple dedicated to Tutu, also for its remarkable pharaonic and classical decorative programme, and the survival of an extensive array of cult objects, albeit in fragmentary form. This chapter describes the architecture and pharaonic decoration of the religious structures, their date and evolution, the objects recovered from them and provides a discussion of Tutu; the classical decoration is discussed elsewhere (Chapter 10).
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationKellis
    Subtitle of host publicationA Roman-Period Village in Egypt's Dakhleh Oasis
    EditorsColin A. Hope, Gillian E. Bowen
    Place of PublicationCambridge UK
    PublisherCambridge University Press
    Chapter9
    Pages203-242
    Number of pages40
    ISBN (Print)9780521190329
    Publication statusPublished - 2022

    Cite this