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(Redirected from Coptos)
'Qift' (Arabic: 'قفط'; Coptic: 'Keft' or 'Kebto'; Egyptian 'Gebtu'; Greek 'Coptos' or 'Koptos'; Roman 'Justinianopolis') is a small town in the Qena Governorate of Egypt about 43 km north of Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile.
In ancient Egypt Qift, known then as 'Gebtu', was an important center for administration, religion, and commerce, being the chief town of the 5th Upper Egyptian Nome of Harawî (Two Hawks). From Qift and Qus, trading expeditions heading for the Red Sea and many mining expeditions into the Eastern Desert left the Nile Valley. Gebtu was at the starting-point of the two great caravan routes leading to the coast of the Red Sea, the one towards the port Tââou (Myoshormos), the other more southerly, towards the port of Shashirît (Berenice). Under the Pharaohs the whole trade of southern Egypt with the Red Sea passed over these two roads; under the Ptolemies, and in Roman and Byzantine times, merchants followed the same roads for purposes of barter with the coasts of Zanzibar, Southern Arabia, India, and the Far East.
Gebtu was the most important religious center in the area. Its principal god was Min, who was also regarded as the god of the desert region to the east. Isis and a Horus infant were the deities connected with Coptos during the Greco-Roman period, probably due to the reinterpretation of the Two Hawks of the Nome standard as Min and Horus.
Gebtu, once politically important, especially under the eleventh dynasty was overshadowed by Thebes. It recuperated its prominence under the Antonines; it was the basecamp of Legio III ''Cyrenaica'', or at least one of its subunits. It rebelled, but soon captured in 292 by Diocletian after a long siege and almost destroyed, but soon recovered its former standing. In the 6th century it was called ''Justinianopolis''.
The see was suffragan of Ptolemais in ''Thebais Secunda''. Five bishops are known (Lequien, II, 607): Theodorus, a partisan of Meletius; Phoebammon in 431; Sabinus in 451; Vincent, author of the "Canonical Solutions", preserved in an Arabic translation and highly esteemed by the Copts; Moyses, who wrote the panegyric of Vincent.
Under the Muslim caliphs and the sultans, Qift remained one of the chief cities of Upper Egypt. In 1176 its Christian inhabitants raised the standard of revolt against the Muslims, but were promptly suppressed by Al-Adil, brother of Saladin, who hanged nearly 3000 Copts on the trees around the city. In the 13th century there were still numerous monasteries around the city. Qift was ruined in the 16th century by the Ottomans.
Remains of three temple groups surrounded by an enclosure wall were located during the excavations of W. M. Flinders Petrie (1893-1894), and Raymond Weill and Adolphe Joseph Reinach (1910-1911).
The undecorated northern temple of Min and Isis was the work of an official named Sennuu on behalf of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, with some later additions by Ptolemy IV Philopator, Caligula and Nero. The temple stands on the site of earlier structures of Amenemhat I, Senusret I, and Thutmose III. Remains of a chapel of Osiris erected by Amasis II were also found near the northern temple.
At the site of the middle temple, blocks of Senusret I, and a gate of Thutmose III with additions probably made by Osorkon II were found. A set of stelae, known as the ''Koptos Decrees'' dating to the Sixth and Seventh Dynasties, with copies of royal decrees concerning the temple and its personnel, were also found. The middle temple itself was built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, with minor additions by Caligula, Claudius and Trajan.
At the site of the southern temple, gates of Nectanebo II, Caligula and Claudius, and a chapel of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV Caesarion were found.
Northeast of Qift, at the modern village of El-Qala, Claudius built a small temple, dedicated to Min, Isis and Horus.
Qift was the focus of an Australian archeological project between 2000 and 2003.
★ The Qift Regional Expedition
Location of Qift on the map of Egypt.
'Qift' (Arabic: 'قفط'; Coptic: 'Keft' or 'Kebto'; Egyptian 'Gebtu'; Greek 'Coptos' or 'Koptos'; Roman 'Justinianopolis') is a small town in the Qena Governorate of Egypt about 43 km north of Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile.
| Contents |
| History |
| Archeology |
| External links |
History
In ancient Egypt Qift, known then as 'Gebtu', was an important center for administration, religion, and commerce, being the chief town of the 5th Upper Egyptian Nome of Harawî (Two Hawks). From Qift and Qus, trading expeditions heading for the Red Sea and many mining expeditions into the Eastern Desert left the Nile Valley. Gebtu was at the starting-point of the two great caravan routes leading to the coast of the Red Sea, the one towards the port Tââou (Myoshormos), the other more southerly, towards the port of Shashirît (Berenice). Under the Pharaohs the whole trade of southern Egypt with the Red Sea passed over these two roads; under the Ptolemies, and in Roman and Byzantine times, merchants followed the same roads for purposes of barter with the coasts of Zanzibar, Southern Arabia, India, and the Far East.
Gebtu was the most important religious center in the area. Its principal god was Min, who was also regarded as the god of the desert region to the east. Isis and a Horus infant were the deities connected with Coptos during the Greco-Roman period, probably due to the reinterpretation of the Two Hawks of the Nome standard as Min and Horus.
Gebtu, once politically important, especially under the eleventh dynasty was overshadowed by Thebes. It recuperated its prominence under the Antonines; it was the basecamp of Legio III ''Cyrenaica'', or at least one of its subunits. It rebelled, but soon captured in 292 by Diocletian after a long siege and almost destroyed, but soon recovered its former standing. In the 6th century it was called ''Justinianopolis''.
The see was suffragan of Ptolemais in ''Thebais Secunda''. Five bishops are known (Lequien, II, 607): Theodorus, a partisan of Meletius; Phoebammon in 431; Sabinus in 451; Vincent, author of the "Canonical Solutions", preserved in an Arabic translation and highly esteemed by the Copts; Moyses, who wrote the panegyric of Vincent.
Under the Muslim caliphs and the sultans, Qift remained one of the chief cities of Upper Egypt. In 1176 its Christian inhabitants raised the standard of revolt against the Muslims, but were promptly suppressed by Al-Adil, brother of Saladin, who hanged nearly 3000 Copts on the trees around the city. In the 13th century there were still numerous monasteries around the city. Qift was ruined in the 16th century by the Ottomans.
Archeology
Remains of three temple groups surrounded by an enclosure wall were located during the excavations of W. M. Flinders Petrie (1893-1894), and Raymond Weill and Adolphe Joseph Reinach (1910-1911).
The undecorated northern temple of Min and Isis was the work of an official named Sennuu on behalf of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, with some later additions by Ptolemy IV Philopator, Caligula and Nero. The temple stands on the site of earlier structures of Amenemhat I, Senusret I, and Thutmose III. Remains of a chapel of Osiris erected by Amasis II were also found near the northern temple.
At the site of the middle temple, blocks of Senusret I, and a gate of Thutmose III with additions probably made by Osorkon II were found. A set of stelae, known as the ''Koptos Decrees'' dating to the Sixth and Seventh Dynasties, with copies of royal decrees concerning the temple and its personnel, were also found. The middle temple itself was built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, with minor additions by Caligula, Claudius and Trajan.
At the site of the southern temple, gates of Nectanebo II, Caligula and Claudius, and a chapel of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV Caesarion were found.
Northeast of Qift, at the modern village of El-Qala, Claudius built a small temple, dedicated to Min, Isis and Horus.
Qift was the focus of an Australian archeological project between 2000 and 2003.
External links
★ The Qift Regional Expedition
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