3rd May 2014
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Dush Temple – Baris Oasis
38c
Dush Temple – Baris Oasis
Dush was the eighth and last site to visit on my Kharga and Dakhla Oasis trip on the 17th & 18th February 2014.
The temple of Dush (in the Oasis of Baris) is located 113 km from Kharga and 23 km east of the village of Baris and is reached via a spur-road leaving Baris next to a radio mast.
The temple was constructed of sandstone and is orientated on a north-south axis, surrounded by mud-brick walls. The fortified enclosure attests to four different stages of construction. In 1989, the Institut Francais d”Archeologie Orientale discovered the “Dush Treasure,” which consisted of necklaces, bracelets and a diadem of gold dating to the Roman period.
The temple of Dush was built in a Pharaonic style and decorated during the reigns of Roman emperors Domitian (81 – 96 CE), Trajan (98 – 117 CE), and Hadrian (117 – 138 CE). The ancient Egyptian name of the temple was Keshet, rendered as Kysis (in Greek). It lies at the intersection of five major trade routes, and was the site of a major military installation during the Roman period. The primary monuments here are a Roman fortress and several temples. The fortress formerly protected the ancient town of Kysis, an agricultural settlement enriched by the Forty Days Road that had potters, jewellers and brothels.
Numerous inscriptions in the temple show the pharaoh offering to deities, including Osiris, Isis and Horus the child, the gods to whom the temple dedicated. An inscription of Trajan, dated to 117 CE is carved on the entrance gate of the temple. The mud-brick structures that surround the temple attest to the importance of the site during the Roman period. The institute Francais d”Archeologie Orientale continues to complete excavations and survey in the area.
Unique in the region of the oases, the sanctuary consists of two longitudinal spaces covered with a vaulted ceiling. In the rear wall, a window points to a door that allows access by stairs, to the heights of the temple, facing the magnificent scenery of an endless desert.
The main Temple of Dush has an axial plan with an inner and an outer sanctuary, a columned hall and two pylons; the temple became sacred to Serapis and Isis. As a result it was solidly built and heavily garrisoned, with four or five more storeys lying underground. It is said to have been the most southward outpost of the Emperor Hadrian.
In addition to the temple, the area is home to the citadel, built by the Turks and made completely from mud-bricks, a number of old churches and homes, and a Coptic Christian church. The main economic resources for the oasis are agriculture and the most important agricultural product in the city is dates.
For those of you with a sense of adventure and climbing walls, can make your way up a small broken wall near to the right side of the temple that will lead you to a fortified structure high up. There is a great deal to see here and is worth the small climb to get to it. There are wall dovecots, arches and rooms with scattered pottery lying around. If you can get to it is a must.
The two night Oasis trip was organised through Petra Luxor Travel Agency. Sheraton Road, Opposite 7Days 7Ways Restaurant. www.petraluxor.com (095) 228 2682
Two days is not enough, you might think of spending more days on an Oasis trip like this.