An Egyptian Harem Conspiracy

My recent trip to Egypt was filled with the usual traveler’s travails of crossing the street in Cairo without getting run over and doggedly pursuing my – and everyone’s – life dream of visiting the pyramids of Giza without allowing hundreds of swarming touts to ruin it. Egyptian history is filled with stories of much different sorts. My friend, Egyptologist Benedict Davies, has shared with me an interesting bit of history from ancient Thebes (Luxor) in the mid 12th Century B.C., a fascinatingly unique tale which he tells here.

Descending from the fastness of the Valley of the Queens, the monumental pylon gateways of the Medinet Habu rise proudly above the rooftops of the brightly-painted local village houses. This temple, at the juncture of the cultivated land of the Nile plain and the escarpment of the ancient West Theban desert necropolis, stands where the world of the living meet the realm of the dead. Its magnificent towers are part of a memorial built for the last great monarch of the Egyptian 20th Dynasty, King Ramesses III (c. 1184 – 1153 BC) – a ruler believed assassinated by his harem.

Medinet Habu's Main Temple (Photo by: Benedict Davies)

Inside the gate tower at the entrance to the temple, well-appointed rooms with inwardly inclined walls and generously tall windows inspired by Syrian fortresses of the day depict scenes of the king relaxing in the company of a host of specially chosen female companions from the royal harem while playing board games, listening to music, eating and drinking and sharing unusual moments of intimacy. A sharp poignancy surrounds the history of this ‘pleasure quarter,’ for it was from these same rooms that certain female members of the king’s harem hatched and carried out a deadly plot to murder Ramesses.

The ringleader of this faction was Queen Teya, a minor wife of Ramesses III. Her motive was clear – the assassination of the aged king, the displacement of his heir apparent and the crowning of her own son, Prince Pentawere as ruler of Egypt. Teya did not act alone, instead enlisting the help of several other members of the harem in addition to certain ‘insiders,’ including priests, highly-placed palace courtiers and even an army general.

Security within the harem quarters was known to have been notoriously tight, causing the women to rely on the use of certain magical incantations and potions to either distract or incapacitate the palace guards. The mummy of Ramesses shows no signs whatsoever of having suffered a violent trauma, so it’s possible that the schemers turned to the use of poison, a venomous serpent or the destructive power of black magic for his assassination.

Medinet Habu Festival Scenes (Photo by: Benedict Davies)

It is debatable, though, whether the attempt on Ramesses’ life was a complete success. The king clearly survived long enough to witness the rounding up of the various suspects and to appoint to a council of magistrates who would see the case through to a formal prosecution. However, the elderly king was dead before Queen Teya and her accomplices could be brought to stand trial. The ultimate aim of the plot – to change the course of the royal succession – had ended in failure. At his trial Prince Pentawere was duly found guilty and the legitimate heir, Ramesses IV, followed his father onto the Egyptian throne.

Over thirty individuals were involved in this gravest of capital crimes. Most of the would-be assassins were found guilty and either executed or invited to commit suicide, suggesting that they may well have succeeded in the plot to murder Ramesses III.

Given the significant history and excellent state of preservation of the temple, it is rather curious that Medinet Habu is still very much considered off the beaten path for many of the mainstream tourist groups visiting the west bank of Thebes (Luxor). The often eerie solitude of its hallowed hallways and courts captures perfectly the ancient sanctity and thoroughly fascinating history of this august institution.

Dr. Benedict Davies is an Egyptologist, traveler, freelance writer and founder of the MP3 audio tours Iconic Guides. He holds a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Liverpool and is a leading expert on the community of royal workmen of Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Kings. A seasoned traveler, Benedict is particularly interested in the cultures of the ancient Near East and the Far East.

Edited by Sabina Lohr

Thumbnail harem photo by freeparking