The Site

The site is situated some 2 and a half miles to the north east of Abrim on the left (northern) bank of the river. Owing to the fact that the river here flows almost exactly due east and west, Amara “West” is strictly speaking Amara “North”.

On this bank of the river, there is a large mound, which is covered by the ruins of a Ramesside town. All the buildings are deeply buried by at least six feet of sand and debris, and tests showed that they are in an excellent state of preservation.

The Temple was discovered in the north-east corner of a large enclosure some 100 yards square. The rest of the enclosure was occupied by houses and magazines and, possibly, by a small chapel, and outside it lay other houses. The extent of the town is still unknown.

To the north and north-east of the town lie extensive cemeteries of the New Kingdom and the X-group period (4th-6th Century A.D.).

All the evidence discovered indicates that the main outline of the Temple was the work of Ramesses II. The house remains are uniform and similar, the work of one period, possibly the work of Ramesses II and his immediate succesors. There is a certain amount of evidence, however, of a post Ramesside occupation, but it does not seem to have been extensive or prolonged. There are alo good grounds for thinking that there was an occupation of the town prior to the Reign of Ramesses II.