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46-762: This city of Latopolis (πόλις Λάτων) in the Thebaid of Upper Egypt should not be confused with the more northerly city of Letopolis (Λητοῦς Πόλις), ancient Khem, modern Ausim, in the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt . In Arabic: iwan-iyyah ( إيوان-ية ) in New Kingdom and ( زين-ية ) in Late Period. The name "Latopolis" is in honor of the Nile perch , Lates niloticus , the largest of the 52 species which inhabit

92-474: A smokeless fuel , which allowed Egyptian artisans to paint elaborate artworks inside ancient tombs without staining them with soot. The Pyramid Texts describe how natron pellets were used as funerary offerings in the rites for the deceased pharaoh, "N". The ceremony required two kinds of natron, one sourced from northern (Lower) and one from southern (Upper) Egypt. Smin , smin opens thy mouth. One pellet of natron. O N., thou shalt taste its taste in front of

138-649: A civilian, and wounded three other people. Under the older name of "Latopolis," the city is now a Roman Catholic Latin titular see . It is sometimes confused with the titular Diocese of Letopolis in modern Ausim, a suffragan of Hermopolis Parva . The city is located on the west bank of the Nile some 55 km (34 mi) south of Luxor . Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert climate (BWh). 25°18′N 32°33′E  /  25.300°N 32.550°E  / 25.300; 32.550 Thebaid The Thebaid or Thebais ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Θηβαΐς , Thēbaïs )

184-467: A greater extent, for residents of Esna and its surrounding villages. It plays a regional trade function as the hub for many commercial activities. It includes different trades and goods such as textiles, clothing, houseware, haberdashery, tailoring, upholstery, etc. Hence, it is a major destination for families preparing for marriage and new brides. Esna's Qīsāriyya Market consists of two main parts. The northern part starts from Wekalet Al-Geddawy, passing by

230-425: A kind of soda ash ) and around 17% sodium bicarbonate (also called baking soda, NaHCO 3 ) along with small quantities of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate . Natron is white to colourless when pure, varying to gray or yellow with impurities. Natron deposits are sometimes found in saline lake beds which arose in arid environments. Throughout history natron has had many practical applications that continue today in

276-597: A monastic and ascetic community along the Nile, in Thebaid. This article about subjects relating to Ancient Egypt is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Ancient Rome –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This geography of Egypt article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Natron Natron is a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate ( Na 2 CO 3 ·10H 2 O,

322-496: A mostly clear, colorless salt solution with little solid thermonatrite . The mineral natron is often found in association with thermonatrite , nahcolite , trona , halite , mirabilite , gaylussite , gypsum , and calcite . Most industrially produced sodium carbonate is soda ash (sodium carbonate anhydrate Na 2 CO 3 ) which is obtained by calcination (dry heating at temperatures of 150 to 200 °C) of sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate monohydrate, or trona . Geologically,

368-519: A number of Christian hermits , and was the birthplace of Pachomius . In Christian art , the Thebaid was represented as a place with numerous monks. Ancient episcopal sees of Thebais Prima (Thebaid I) listed in the Annuario Pontificio as Catholic titular sees : Ancient episcopal sees of Thebais Secunda (Thebaid II) listed in the Annuario Pontificio as Catholic titular sees : Anatole France 's novel, Thaïs , opens on

414-438: A producer of something, in this case Nitric acid , which was produced from niter (potassium nitrate)). Niter was also an obsolete name for natron because in earlier times, both minerals used to be confused with each other. Historical natron was harvested directly as a salt mixture from dry lake beds in ancient Egypt , and has been used for thousands of years as a cleaning product for both the home and body. Blended with oil, it

460-525: A rich heritage in its unique social structure; the city center is subdivided into spatial domains inhabited by deeply-rooted Esna families, and its traditional crafts, many on the verge of extinction, have been a tradition since the medieval era. There are other monuments and buildings of historic significance in Esna from various eras such as Wekalet Al-Geddawy, a caravanserai from the Ottoman era, established in

506-471: Is sodium bicarbonate , natron's other key ingredient. Natron is also the mineralogical name for the compound sodium carbonate decahydrate (Na 2 CO 3 · 10H 2 O), which is the main component in historical natron. Sodium carbonate decahydrate has a specific gravity of 1.42 to 1.47 and a Mohs hardness of 1. It crystallizes in the monoclinic -domatic crystal system , typically forming efflorescences and encrustations. The term hydrated sodium carbonate

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552-727: Is commonly used to encompass the monohydrate (Na 2 CO 3 · H 2 O), the decahydrate and the heptahydrate (Na 2 CO 3 · 7H 2 O), but is often used in industry to refer to the decahydrate only. Both the hepta- and the decahydrate effloresce (lose water) in dry air and are partially transformed into the monohydrate thermonatrite Na 2 CO 3 · H 2 O. Sodium carbonate decahydrate is stable at room temperature but recrystallizes at only 32 °C (90 °F) to sodium carbonate heptahydrate, Na 2 CO 3 · 7H 2 O, then above 37–38 °C (99–100 °F) to sodium carbonate monohydrate, Na 2 CO 3 · H 2 O. This recrystallization from decahydrate to monohydrate releases much crystal water in

598-435: Is so high, that little bicarbonate is present in solution (see reaction scheme above) – in which case the maximum temperature is increased to about 30 °C (86 °F). In most cases the mineral natron will form together with some amount of nahcolite ( sodium bicarbonate ), resulting in salt mixtures like the historical natron. Otherwise, the minerals trona or thermonatrite and nahcolite are commonly formed. As

644-508: Is still legible on the walls of Latopolis. Before raising their own edifice, the Romans seem to have destroyed even the basements of the earlier Egyptian temple. The ceremonial way, which probably linked the quay to the temple, has disappeared. The quay bears cartouches of Marcus Aurelius . The cemetery west of the town, where the Lates niloticus was buried, also contains human burials dating of

690-506: Is the only remaining part of the historic mosque with the same name which was torn down and rebuilt in the 1960s in a modern style. The mosque was established between the years 474 and 476 hijri (1081 to 1084 AD) by Badr El Deen Gamaly and it was the first to be built in Esna in the Fatimid Era. The oil press has belonged to the family of Bakour for over 200 years and it is the only oil press still standing in Esna. The Martyrs' Monastery

736-757: The Epistrategos of Thebes, who was also responsible for overseeing navigation in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean . The capital of Ptolemaic Thebaid was Ptolemais Hermiou , a Hellenistic colony on the Nile which served as the center of royal political and economic control in Upper Egypt . During the Roman Empire , Diocletian created the province of Thebais , guarded by the legions I Maximiana Thebanorum and II Flavia Constantia . This

782-557: The Ancient Egyptian word nṯrj . Natron refers to Wadi El Natrun or Natron Valley in Egypt, from which natron was mined by the ancient Egyptians for use in burial rites. The modern chemical symbol for sodium , Na , is an abbreviation of that element's Neo-Latin name natrium , which was derived from natron . The name of the chemical element Nitrogen is also a cognate to natron, it derives from Greek nitron and -gen (

828-921: The Middle Kingdom to the Late Period . The Temple of Esna conveys a sense of the importance which the Ancient Egyptians placed upon their places of worship. All Egyptians who entered the confines of an Egyptian temple were required "to comply with the strict rules regarding ritual purity." According to inscriptions carved on the walls of the Temple of Esna, those who entered this temple were expected to fastidiously cut their fingernails and toenails, remove other body hair, wash their hands with natron (a natural occurring salt), "be dressed in linen (they were forbidden from wearing wool), and not to have had sexual intercourse for several days." Esna enjoys

874-712: The sḥ-ntr- chapels. One pellet of natron. That which Horus spits out is smin . One pellet of natron. That which Set spits out is smin . One pellet of natron. That which the two harmonious gods (spit out) is smin . One pellet of natron. To say four times: Thou hast purified thyself with natron, together with Horus (and) the Followers of Horus. Five pellets of natron from Nekheb, Upper Egypt. Thou purifiest (thyself); Horus purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. Thou purifiest (thyself); Set purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. Thou purifiest (thyself); Thot purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. Thou purifiest (thyself);

920-456: The 18th century by the ruler Hassan El-Geddawy and named after him. It is one of three caravanserais in the south of Egypt, and it is the only one that still maintains its unique original design. The Wekala was one of the most important trade centers in southern Egypt in the 18th century, with traders from all over Africa coming through the west desert and the Red Sea, and stands as a testament to

966-518: The Church of Mother Dūlāji, and heading northward. It gets busier in its northern edge, covered with modern elements, since it is close to Esna's public transportation hub. Along this part of the street, many architecturally significant buildings dating back to the turn of the twentieth century exist. It also includes, tucked in a small alleyway, the façade of Bayt al-Shabrāwī, built in 1874 with its intricate decorative fired brick and woodwork. On Saturdays,

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1012-471: The Nile, which was abundant in these stretches of the river in ancient times, and which appears in sculptures, among the symbols of the goddess Neith , associated by the ancient Greeks as Pallas-Athene , surrounded by the oval shield or ring indicative of royalty or divinity. Held sacred, the Lates niloticus was buried in a cemetery west of the town. The temple of Esna, dedicated to the god Khnum , his consorts Menhit and Nebtu , their son, Heka , and

1058-500: The Roman times; possibly since the age of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar (63 B.C.–14 A.D.) They consist of a long and narrow covered street, and sometimes a network of streets, that exist in the heart of a city. The street is surrounded by two- and three-story buildings on both sides; shops and workshops are on the ground floor directly opening to the street. The upper floors include living quarters, sometimes for traders visiting

1104-561: The Romans and others at least until AD 640. The mineral was also employed as a flux to solder precious metals together. Most of natron's uses both in the home and by industry were gradually replaced with closely related sodium compounds and minerals. Natron's detergent properties are now commercially supplied by soda ash (pure sodium carbonate), the mixture's chief compound ingredient, along with other chemicals. Soda ash also replaced natron in glass-making . Some of its ancient household roles are also now filled by ordinary baking soda , which

1150-480: The city's main marketplace. Wekalet Al-Geddawy caravanserai, one of the city's main trading buildings, is on this square as well. To the north and south of the square, al-Qīsāriyya Street extended parallel to the Nile River for a distance of almost 1.5 km (0.93 mi). The street is named after Esna's renowned al-Qīsāriyya Market. Qīsāriyyas are an urban market typology that is believed to have existed since

1196-411: The city. Wakālas (caravanserais), exist along or close to this street. Such street markets are known for traditional goods such as textiles, spices, and traditional clothing. Qīsāriyyas exist in many Upper Egyptian cities such as Asyūt, Sūhaj, Qenā and Esna; and they continue to function as popular local markets. Al-Qīsāriyya Market in Esna is one of the city's main attractions, not only for tourists but to

1242-564: The god purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. Thou also purifiest (thyself)—thou who art among them. One pellet of natron. Thy mouth is the mouth of a sucking calf on the day of his birth. Five pellets of natron of the North, Wadi Natrûn ( št-p.t ) Natron is an ingredient for making a distinct color called Egyptian blue , and also as the flux in Egyptian faience . It was used along with sand and lime in ceramic and glass-making by

1288-460: The goddess Neith , was remarkable for the beauty of its site and the magnificence of its architecture. It was built of red sandstone, and its portico consisted of six rows of four columns each, with lotus-leaf capitals, all of which however differ from each other. The temple contains very late hieroglyphic inscription , dating from the reign of Decius (249–251 AD). Another temple of the same period has been identified at Kom Mer, about 12 km to

1334-399: The limited temperature stability of this compound and due to the fact that the absorption of carbon dioxide usually produces mixtures of bicarbonate and carbonate in solution. From such mixtures, the mineral natron (and also the historical one) will be formed only if the brine temperature during evaporation is maximally about 20 °C (68 °F) – or the alkalinity of the lake

1380-406: The lock system. The two main points of interest in Esna are its lively tourist-oriented market, which fills a couple of streets leading inland from the corniche . The other is the temple of Esna. The temple, which has only been partially excavated, is about 200 meters (660 ft) from the river and some 9 meters (30 ft) below street level. An attack on a police patrol killed a policeman and

1426-680: The market extends for a distance of almost 130 m (425 feet) from the Khnum Temple area to many of Esna's attractions such as the traditional Bakkūr Oil Press, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and many of the city's architecturally significant buildings. There are more than 120 local shops, mostly traditional tailors making garments such as jalābiyyas, and selling textiles including women's traditional fabrics and shawls indigenous to Esna such as al-Ḥabra, al-Farkha and al-Nishra. This southern part of al-Qīsāriyya Market still includes

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1472-427: The mineral natron as well as the historical natron are formed as transpiro- evaporite minerals, i.e. crystallizing during the drying up of salt lakes rich in sodium carbonate. The sodium carbonate is usually formed by absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by a highly alkaline, sodium-rich lake brine , according to the following reaction scheme: Pure deposits of sodium carbonate decahydrate are rare, due to

1518-405: The northern part of al-Qīsāriyya is even more lively since it merges with Esna's weekly Saturday Market, famous for local food and for clay tableware. The southern part starts from the south side of Khnum Temple. This part is quieter. It still maintains its traditional wooden cover and is surrounded by mud brick buildings with traditional features, such as colorful wooden doors. This covered part of

1564-568: The remains of a traditional wakāla, accessed through one of the textile shops. The market's traditional wooden cover in addition to its direction from north to south provides a cool breeze. Two barrage bridges straddle the Nile at this point: one built by the British in 1906, and the "Electricity Bridge" built in the 1990s. Ships, particularly Nile cruisers ferrying tourists from Luxor to Aswan 155 km (96 mi) further upstream, can be held up for hours while they negotiate their way through

1610-418: The south, but cannot be excavated because a modern village is built over it. There was a smaller temple, dedicated to the triad of Latopolis, about two miles and a half north of the city, at a village now called el-Dayr. Here, too, is a small zodiac of the age of Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221 BC). This latter building was destroyed in the 19th century, as it stood in the way of a new canal. The temple of Esna

1656-411: The strength of trade and the strategic position of Esna as a trade center at the time. The building was historically used for the sale of slaves, animals, crops and crafts. The historic market is one of a few still standing markets in the south of Egypt and is significant for its place in Esna's local life. Products sold in the market include home supplies, local crafts and bridal needs. El-Amry Minaret

1702-464: The wide range of modern uses of its constituent mineral components. In modern mineralogy the term natron has come to mean only the sodium carbonate decahydrate (hydrated soda ash) that makes up most of the historical salt. The English and German word natron is a French cognate derived through the Spanish natrón from Latin natrium and Greek nitron ( νίτρον ). This derives from

1748-501: Was a region in ancient Egypt , comprising the 13 southernmost nomes of Upper Egypt , from Abydos to Aswan . The Thebaid acquired its name from its proximity to the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes ( Luxor ). During the Ancient Egyptian dynasties this region was dominated by Thebes and its priesthood at the temple of Amun at Karnak . In Ptolemaic Egypt , the Thebaid formed a single administrative district under

1794-542: Was a benefactor to Latopolis, and he is depicted upon the walls of its temple followed by a tame lion, and in the act of striking down the chiefs of his enemies. The name of Ptolemy V Epiphanes is found also inscribed upon a doorway. Although the scale of the ruins are impressive, their sculptures and hieroglyphics attest to the decline of Egyptian art. The west wall features reliefs of Ptolemy VI Philometor and Ptolemy VIII Physcon . The pronaos, which alone exists, resembles in style that of Apollonopolis Magna ( Edfu ), and

1840-405: Was an early form of soap . It softens water while removing oil and grease. Undiluted, natron was a cleanser for the teeth and an early mouthwash . The mineral was mixed into early antiseptics for wounds and minor cuts. Natron can be used to dry and preserve fish and meat. It was also an ancient household insecticide, and was used for making leather as well as a bleach for clothing. The mineral

1886-401: Was begun not earlier than the reign of Claudius (41–54 AD), and completed in that of Vespasian , whose name and titles are carved on the dedicatory inscription over the entrance. On the ceiling of the pronaos is the larger Latopolitan Zodiac. The name of the emperor Geta , the last ruler that can be read in hieroglyphics, although partially erased by his brother and murderer Caracalla (212),

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1932-477: Was cleared of the soil and rubbish which filled its area when Vivant Denon visited it, and served as a cotton warehouse in the mid-19th century. With the exception of the jamb of a gateway—now converted into a door-sill—of the reign of Thutmose II ( Eighteenth Dynasty ), the remains of Latopolis belong to the Ptolemaic or Roman eras. Ptolemy III Euergetes , the restorer of so many temples in Upper Egypt ,

1978-468: Was established in the 6th century. The monastery is significant for Christians since it was established by Saint Helena after a battle between the Romans and Coptic Egyptians which led to the death of 3600 martyrs during the age of Christian persecution in Egypt. The battle was led by the Roman emperor Diocletian who started an attack against Christians in Egypt. On the day of the Martyrs' Massacre, an attack

2024-410: Was later divided into Upper ( Latin : Thebais Superior , Greek : Ἄνω Θηβαΐς , Anō Thēbaïs ), comprising the southern half with its capital at Thebes, and Lower or Nearer ( Latin : Thebais Inferior , Greek : Θηβαΐς Ἐγγίστη , Thēbaïs Engistē ), comprising the northern half with capital at Ptolemais . Around the 5th century, since it was a desert , the Thebaid became a place of retreat of

2070-497: Was started that caused the Bishop of the city of Esna, Father Ammonius, to flee with the whole Christian population to the monastery to hide there from the troops of the emperor however they were later found there and killed. The monastery is visited by thousands of Egyptians every year. The public open space located between Khnum Temple and al-`Amriyya Minaret functioned as Esna's main square. Historic photos of Esna depict this area as

2116-405: Was used during mummification ceremonies in ancient Egypt because it absorbs water and behaves as a drying agent. Moreover, when exposed to moisture, the carbonate in natron increases pH (raises alkalinity ), which creates a hostile environment for bacteria. In some cultures, natron was thought to enhance spiritual safety for both the living and the dead. Natron was added to castor oil to make

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