Gebel el-Silsila

Gebel el-Silsila or Gebel Silsileh (Arabic: جبل السلسلة, transliterated as Jabal al-Silsila or Gabal as-Silsila, meaning "Mountain of the Chain"; Egyptian: ẖny, also rendered as Khenyt, Kheny, or Khenu, meaning "The Place of Rowing") is 65 km (40 mi) north of Aswan in Upper Egypt, with cliffs on both sides close to the narrowest point along the length of the entire Nile. The location is between Edfu in the north towards Lower Egypt and Kom Ombo in the south towards Upper Egypt. It was a major sandstone quarry quarry site on both sides of the Nile from at least the 18th Dynasty to Greco-Roman times. Gebel el-Silsila is famous for its New Kingdom stelai and cenotaphs.

Gebel el Silsila was one of the main sources of sandstone that was used in construction and decoration for some major temples and monuments during the Ancient Egyptians.

Sandstone quarry

The quarry landscape contains over 120 separate quarries which commenced as early as the Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom, late Period, continuing into the Greco-Roman and modern times.

Through detailed mapping, tool-mark analysis, and spatial recording, the research of the Gebel el-Silsila Archaeological Project has studied the techniques of stone extraction, shaping, and transportation on an industrial scale. Quarry faces, extraction trenches, spoil heaps, and unfinished blocks provide direct evidence for quarrying techniques and labour organisation over multiple reigns, particularly during the 18th and 19th Dynasties.

Geologist James Harrell has undertaken a comprehensive study of the geological features of the site along with the quarrying techniques.

Monuments

Shrines, chapels and temples

The site provided numerous stone quarries on both the west and east sides of the Nile. The site contains many shrines erected by New Kingdom officials who would have been in charge of quarrying the stone. Almost all of Ancient Egypt's great New Kingdom and later Ptolemaic temples derived their sandstone from here, such as Karnak, Luxor, Ramesses III's Medinet Habu, Kom Ombo, and the Ramesseum.

The rock-cut temple or Speos, known previously as the Temple of Horemheb, was created during the 18th Dynasty, in particular the reign of Hatshepsut (Nilsson, 2017). The temple was heavily over-carved during the Ramesside era, followed by centuries of graffiti from the Graeco-Roman, Christian and later periods. The Ramesside temple decoration is dedicated to seven deities, including Amun, the local god Sobek and Horemheb. The scenes on the facade of the Speos include Ramesses III offering Maat to Amun-Re, Mut, Khonsu and Sobek in one scene and offering Maat to Anhur-Shu in another scene. Elsewhere Ramesses II is depicted in the company of his Vizier Neferronpet, while offering Maat to Ptah and Sobek. The central doorway contains a stele showing Sety II before Amun-Re, Mut and Khons.