Beni Hasan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beni Hasan |
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| Native name بني حسن | |
| Bani Hasan; Beni Hassan; Beni-Hassan | |
The tombs of Khety and Baqet III
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| Type | Necropolis |
| Location | Minya Governorate, Egypt |
| Nearest city | Minya |
| Governing body | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
Beni Hasan is an ancient site located in Middle Egypt. It is famous for rock-cut resting places known as monumental tombs. The builders carved these resting places directly into high limestone cliffs. These cliffs overlook the Nile River valley.
During the Middle Kingdom, Beni Hasan served as a grand cemetery. Ancient officials managed a region called the Oryx nome. A nome was an Egyptian province. Important leaders, called governors or nomarchs, governed the area. They built incredible rock-cut tombs for their eternal resting places. The site includes early burials from the Sixth Dynasty. Later additions belong to the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties. South of the cemetery stands a rock-cut temple. Hatshepsut built it during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt for the goddess Pakhet. The Greeks later connected Pakhet to Artemis, calling the sanctuary Speos Artemidos.
Contents
The Layout of the Ancient Cemetery
The cemetery at Beni Hasan divides into two main sections. High on the cliff sits the upper cemetery. It contains 39 large tombs carved along a natural rock terrace. Only the wealthiest leaders could afford such impressive resting places. Many of these tombs feature grand halls with pillars and columns. Vertical shafts inside drop down to deep underground chambers.
Further down the slope lies the lower cemetery. Here, archaeologists found about 900 graves. Most of these burials were shaft tombs made for regular officials and scribes. Workers dug vertical holes into the desert rock. They placed simple coffins and offerings at the bottom.
Amazing Tomb Paintings and Inscriptions
Twelve of the upper tombs contain brilliant painted scenes. These murals tell modern historians how ancient Egyptians lived. Artists painted farming, crafts, hunting, and joyful board games. Other scenes show wrestling matches, athletic exercises, and battles.
The paintings also depict travelers visiting Egypt from neighboring regions. Inscriptions write out prayers and ancient magic spells. Some walls include spells from the Pyramid Texts. Scribes wrote these texts using hieroglyphs, cursive hieroglyphs, and everyday hieratic script. These records display each owner's social rank and official titles.
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Painted decoration at Beni Hasan
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Tomb BH3 of Khnumhotep II
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Painted decoration at Beni Hasan
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Painted decoration at Beni Hasan
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Painted decoration at Beni Hasan
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Painted decoration at Beni Hasan
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Painted decoration at Beni Hasan
Exploring the Most Famous Tombs
Four of the grand upper tombs welcome visitors today. Each tomb belonged to a powerful regional leader who served Egypt's kings.
The Tomb of Amenemhat (BH2)
Amenemhat governed the province during the reign of Pharaoh Senusret I. His chapel has a porch supported by columns. Inside, a deep shrine holds carved statues of the governor, his wife, and his mother. Bright ceiling paintings mimic woven reed mats and painted beams.
The Tomb of Khnumhotep II (BH3)
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Khnumhotep II served as an important leader during the reign of Senusret II. A long inscription of 222 lines records his life accomplishments. His tomb contains a famous painting showing a procession of travelers called the Aamu. These visitors brought valuable trading goods, including eye paint called mesdemet. Their leader was a man named Abisharie.
The Tomb of Baqet III (BH15)
Baqet III lived during the early Middle Kingdom. His chapel includes an offering table and a stone false door. The east wall displays an exciting sports guide. Painters created 220 pairs of wrestlers engaged in different moves. Artists used red and dark brown paints so observers could tell the athletes apart.
The Tomb of Khety (BH17)
Khety governed the 16th province of Upper Egypt. His chapel ceiling rested on columns carved like lotus plants. His walls display active sports, military defense, and 122 pairs of wrestlers. Other pictures show skilled workers engaged in spinning, weaving, and making fruit juice.
Discoveries and Archaeological Research
European travelers began studying Beni Hasan during the 1700s and 1800s. Scholar Edme-François Jomard explored the site during the French expedition to Egypt. His observations appeared in the famous survey book, the Description de l'Égypte.
Later, famous explorers like Jean-François Champollion, Ippolito Rosellini, and Karl Richard Lepsius visited. Artist David Roberts drew beautiful landscapes of the cliff entrances. Nineteenth-century photographers took pictures using albumen paper.
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Tombs BH3, BH4 and BH5 photographed by Félix Bonfils in 1877.
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Section and columns of a tomb at Beni Hasan, published in 1885.
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In the 1890s, the Egypt Exploration Fund started systematic studies. Archaeologist Percy Newberry directed this field project. A young teenager named Howard Carter joined as an artist. Carter copied ancient wall scenes before he later found King Tutankhamun's tomb.
Between 1902 and 1904, John Garstang excavated the lower cemetery. He uncovered hundreds of simple burials. Modern researchers at Macquarie University, led by Naguib Kanawati, continue recording the monuments today. They use digital cameras and precise architectural plans to protect these treasures.
Images for kids
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View of the cliff cemetery showing tombs BH3, BH4, and BH5.
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Painting of a mother and child from tomb BH14.
See also
- Art of ancient Egypt
- Middle Kingdom of Egypt
- Speos Artemidos
- List of ancient Egyptian towns and cities
