Siwa Amun Temple

Perhaps the best known story about Siwa has to do with Alexander the Great. While building Alexandria, he came here to visit the famous Oracle of Amun whose temple which dates to at least the 7th century BCE when the present temple was built.
This post follows a hypothetical version of Alexander's visit. The 1st picture looks over the well of purification and up to a part of the temple. Ritual cleansing was required to enter the temple, and it seems right that Alexander would not have been excepted from this. Amazingly, there is still water in this well.
The 2nd picture looks through the series of gates into the progressively holier portions of the site.
Finally, in the 3rd picture, Alexander reaches the Holy of Holies, the Oracle chamber where he tells us that the Oracle proclaimed him a son of Amun and rightful pharaoh. This is also an astronomical space. The window to the left would mark the equinox when the light fell exactly on the stature of Amun that would have been in the center of the room.
The 4th picture looks across the temple. This is likely the remains of the sight Alexander would have taken in after receiving the Oracle's message.
The final picture looks across the coronation chamber where Alexander received the crown of EgyptRead more