Temple of Bes

Bahariya Oasis is the northernmost oasis of Egypt. This oasis has a particular historical significance as it was an important transit point for the Caravan tracks and the Nile Valley. This is besides being the theatre of great and important archeological finds in modern times. Shaspo Tours gives you the opportunity to visit Bahariya Oasis with its charm Egyptian desert. Choose from our wide selections of Egypt Holidays and Egypt Desert Safari.

The Temple of Bes was discovered by a resident of El Bawiti in 1988, so as discoveries go in Egypt, it is fairly recent. This individual discovered an inscribed piece of basalt within the old section of El Bawiti, which prompted the local antiquity authorities to investigate the site. Interestingly, this artifact was carved with the cartouche of Akhenaten, and is the only evidence of this heretic pharaoh that has been found in the oasis.

The ancient Egyptian god, Bes, who may not have originated in Egypt but who was certainly made into a pure Egyptian god, had a number of attributes which changed over time. In the Old Kingdom, he was shown to be associated with fertility, circumcision and various harvest rituals. By the Middle Kingdom, he had evolved into a guardian of the home, infants and new mothers and was a protector of pregnant women. As time passed, his depiction as a dwarf became common, sometimes shown with drums or a tambourine, playing the flute or dancing in his role associated with joy, sex and pleasurable pursuits. By the Greco-Roman Period, his appearance became more menacing, and he was often shown with knives and swords and thus took on the role of protector in warfare against evil forces.

However, during the Greco-Roman Period in the Bahariya Oasis, Bes was honored perhaps for his earlier attributes related to pleasure, and at El Bawiti, the major community in the Oasis, he was the god of wine made from grapes and dates. The importance of these products to the region is evidenced by the only known temple dedicated to Bes in Egypt.

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