 Southwest bastion of Qārat eṭ-Ṭūb fortress | ||
| Qārat eṭ-Ṭūb · قارة الطوب | ||
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Qarat et Tub (also Qarat / Qaret / Karet el-Tub, Qaret el-Toub, Arabic:قارة الطوب, Qārat aṭ-Ṭūb, „Brick hill“) Is an archaeological site west of the city el-Bāwīṭī in the valley el-Baḥrīya about 350 meters south of ʿAin el-Muftillā. Here are the remains of a Roman fortress. Archaeologists should be primarily interested in this site.
background
The site has been used as a cemetery since the Old Kingdom / the First Intermediate Period.
In the second / third century AD, the local fortress was built here by Roman engineers, which was to serve as the location of a cavalry unit. The fortress was inaugurated in 288 under Diocletian and Maximian. The water for the construction and later operation was obtained from the aqueducts of el-Qaṣr and el-Bāwīṭī.
As ceramic finds show, the fortress area was used until the 10th century. Roman (2nd / 3rd century), late Roman (4th - 6th century) and Arabic ceramics (7th - 10th centuries) are among the finds.
Given the size of the fortress - the sides measure around 65 meters - it is surprising that the site was never named or even explored until 1999. She is only in one of Ahmed Fakhry (1905–1973) created map.[1]
Since June 1999 the site has been investigated by the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale under the direction of Frédéric Colin. The finds documented so far include graves, especially on the east and south sides, and ceramic remains. The tombs that were explored in the first season of excavations dated to the 13th to 18th ancient Egyptian dynasties. More recent finds include female figures that were placed in the grave of the deceased as grave goods.
An analysis of other fortress-like structures in the El-Baḥrīya depression showed that the local complex was the only one that was used for military purposes. Other "fortress-like" structures (arab. el-Qaṣr) were part of settlements.
It has not yet been clarified what relations there existed with the el-Qaṣr district in el-Bāwīṭī in particular.
getting there
There are two main options. Either you go by bike or car coming from el-Bāwīṭī in a westerly direction on the asphalt road Siwa or. ʿAin et-Tibnīya. Immediately at the exit of el-Bāwīṭī one turns 1 28 ° 21 ′ 0 ″ N.28 ° 50 ′ 45 ″ E onto the asphalt road to the north. After about 350 meters you will reach the archaeological site, which is located on the east side of the road.
The second path runs parallel to the aforementioned road to the north, but can sometimes only be passed with an all-terrain vehicle. But it is more attractive and can be done on foot or by bike. You walk about in the north of the burial ground of Qārat Qaṣr Salīm going west. You come to an area with palm groves and pass el-Qaṣr in the south. On one 2 small place with a school(28 ° 21 ′ 5 ″ N.28 ° 51 '24 "E) one branches off to the right (this is the west). A little later the road forks, you stay on the right. After one ʿAin el-Muftillā has reached, you continue south and reach Qārat eṭ-Ṭūb after about 350 meters.
mobility
The area of the archaeological site can only be explored on foot. The subsoil is sandy.
Tourist Attractions
The main attraction is of course that 1 Fortress of Qārat eṭ-Ṭūb(28 ° 21 '12 "N.28 ° 50 ′ 51 ″ E)which can be viewed without difficulty from the asphalt road leading past to the west.
The system is roughly square and has an edge length of 60 to 65 meters. The fortress thus takes up an area of around 4,200 square meters. The surrounding wall was built from air-dried mud bricks. Bastions were arranged at the corners, in particular the bastion in the southwest corner is still well preserved.
The main entrance is on the east side. The gate was built from sandstone blocks. On the left (southern) door jamb there is a red cross in a circle.
Behind the gate there are farm buildings, accommodation and a fountain. There were also commercial buildings on the west side. These buildings were also made of adobe bricks.
As long as you only look at the system from the street, there shouldn't be any problems. If you walk across the area, you should do so in the company of a local in order to be able to calm down a possible guard.
kitchen
Restaurants can be found in el-Bāwīṭī or ʿAin et-Tibnīya. On the way to ʿAin et-Tibnīya is the Ahmed Safari Camp, where you can also stop.
accommodation
Accommodation is usually chosen in el-Bāwīṭī or ʿAin et-Tibnīya.
trips
If you have bought a ticket in the “museum” in el-Bāwīṭī, you can visit other sites within a radius of el-Bāwīṭī visit. These are the "museum" in el-Bāwīṭī, the burial ground of Qārat Qaṣr Salīm, ʿAin el-Muftillā, Qārat Ḥilwa and the Alexander Temple ʿAin et-Tibnīya. The most comfortable excursion is in an all-terrain vehicle or by bike. But you can also walk.
literature
- : Qaret el-Toub: un fort romain et une nécropole pharaonique. Prospection archéologique dans l’oasis de Baḥariya 1999. In:Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale (BIFAO), Vol.100 (2000), Pp. 145-192.
- : Un fort romain dans le désert d'Égypte. In:Pour la Science <Paris>, ISSN0153-4092, No.295 (2002), Pp. 76-82. Good review article.
- : Hermaphrodite ou parturiente? Données nouvelles sur les humanoïdes de terre crue en contexte funéraire (Qaret el-Toub, Bahariya 2005). In:Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale (BIFAO), Vol.106 (2006), Pp. 21-56.
- Colin, Frédéric (Ed.): Le fort romain de Qaret el-Toub; t. 1. Le Caire: Institut français d’archéologie orientale, 2012, Fouilles de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale; 62, ISBN 978-2-7247-0566-9 .
Web links
- Bahariya, Excavation information of the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale
Individual evidence
- ↑Fakhry, Ahmed: Baḥria Oasis, vol. II, Cairo: Government Press, 1950, p. 26.
