The ruins of Koptos lay in the center of the modern City of Qift.  The locals here rebelled during Diocletian's rule and for this the city was destroyed, so little remains to tell the tale of the glory of this ancient city.  Its position of importance was superseded in the Mameluke period by Qus, to the South and in modern times by Qena in the North.

The principle god worshipped here was Min, (Pan to the Greeks) and both Koptos and Min date to the beginnings of recorded history in Egypt.  In this context, Min was the protector of the gold mines, quarries and caravan routes.  But the only remains of his temple are some foundations and bits and pieces of the enclosure wall.  In fact, the only monuments which remain relatively intact or towards the south.  There, one may find a single gateway dating from Claudius,  the uprights of a door from Ptolemy XII and Caligula, and the chapel to Cleopatra.

Just north of Qift is also the small Temple of El-Qal'a which dates from Roman times, dedicated to Isis and Harpocrates.

See Also:

• Our Feature Article on Temple Ruins in and near Qift and Qus

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