North Temple of Karanis
About
A second, larger limestone temple stood at the settlement's north end, built in the early Roman period in a purely Egyptian style with only its corner columns showing Greco-Roman influence. Unlike the South Temple it carries almost no relief decoration, an unusually plain design for a Faiyum cult building. It anchored the northern end of Karanis's temple precinct throughout the height of the Roman Empire, including in 117 CE.
What happened here
The building itself is a house for the god, and most people never go inside. Everything public happens on the steps and at the altar in front: an animal led up, examined, killed cleanly, its organs read, the meat divided and eaten. The priest covers his head and a flute player keeps up a noise so no ill-omened word is heard. Worshippers leave what they can afford — a terracotta figure, a coin, a model of the body part they want healed — and the accumulated clutter is periodically cleared and buried on site. On festival days the doors are opened and the cult statue is dressed, garlanded, and sometimes carried out through the streets. The temple also holds money, which is why towns keep their treasury in one.
Sources
Nearby
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →