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The contra temple
Probably sometime after the reign of Tiberius, the portico located at the rear of the temple was
replaced by a larger roofed area, spanning the entire width of the rear wall. It was supported by
four column bases. This roofed portico formed a contra temple. De Meyer and Minas-Nerpel
describe this as a place popular for worshipping the gods, as this was as close as one could get to
the central sanctuary without entering the temple. Since people who did not belong to the clergy
did not have access to the temple proper this was the closest people would get (de Meyer and
Minas-Nerpel 2012, 5).
A contra temple is a room located at the back of a temple behind the sanctuary where the
common people, who were not allowed into the sacred parts of the temple, could commune with
the god or goddess. One example is the chapel of the hearing ear. They were sometimes quite
elaborate, but frequently consisted of only a niche with a statue of the main god, or a pair of gods
symbolising the ears of the god. Common people could address their prayers to the god in this
room. They occurred in the new kingdom and continued into the Graeco-Roman period. They were
often built in conjunction with false doors (Wilkinson 2007, 71).
False doors occur in a number of new kingdom, and later period, temples. They were first seen in
old kingdom tombs and pyramid temples. According to ancient Egyptian religion these false doors
were fully functioning portals which the deceased could use to enter or leave the temple/tomb to
receive offering. In temples they were placed at the back of the sanctuary, which allowed the spirit
to enter it from the burial site, which was at this time located elsewhere. The false door in divine
temples (built for gods and not for a deceased individual) gave special access for those who were
not allowed to enter the temple to the god or goddess (Wilkinson 2007, 71).
In Shenhur a false door is located in the contra temple. This was where, according to de Meyer and
Minas-Nerpel, the Great Goddess Isis manifested herself to the people. Contra temples existed
throughout Egypt. They provided a place for the people who were not allowed into the sanctuary
to interact with the deity of the temple. The texts and reliefs found on both sides of the false door
were added during the reign of Tiberius (14-37 AD) (de Meyer and Minas-Nerpel 2012, 2).