Egypt: Antinoe

Antinoe

Antinoe is located a little over 6 miles south of Beni Hasan at a village called Sheikh Abada. Little is known of this Pharaonic town, which was founded by the emperor Hadrian on October 30th of 130 AD. Legend has it that it was built in honor of Antinus, who threw himself into the Nile to save the emperor.

All that is really left here in the form of pharaonic monuments is the temple of the god, Shepsy, which was built by Ramesse II. Shepsy is found in relation to Thoth of Hermopolis. Much of Antinoe may now be in Cairo. Apparently, materials from this site were quarried to build the 15th century mosques there, and it is also rumored that Salah ad-Din used the enclosure wall of the temple to build the fortification around Cairo. The mosque in the nearby village of Sheikh Abada is said to have been built on the site of the house of Mary the Copt. Early Christians also build monasteries in the nearby mountains.