QAṢR NISĪMA
Arabic | قصر نسيمة |
English | Qasr Nisima | Qasr Nessima |
French | Kasr Omm el Nessim |
DEChriM ID | 9 |
Trismegistos GeoID | 61710 |
Pleiades ID | 776220 | PAThs ID | - |
Ancient name | - |
Modern name | Qaṣr Nisīma |
Latitude | 25.382000 |
Longitude | 30.546620 |
Date from | 300 |
Date to | 499 |
Typology | Hamlet |
Dating criteria | Analysis of surface ceramic. |
Description | Qaṣr Nisīma is situated along the Darb al-Arbaʿīn, 10km south of the ancient city of Hibis. A small hamlet in antiquity, the site consists of a well-preserved columbarium, as well as a small ‘fort’, or qaṣr, surrounded by about 15 housing units, one of which includes a small church (Ghica 2012: 217; Ghica 2016: 199). In recent years, a section of the housing (to the north of the fort) has been destroyed by heavy machinery. Fort Church The brickwork, presence of the columbarium, and the architectural features of the church, namely the closing of the bêma, as well as the inclusion of the church in the village plan, suggest a date of foundation in the fourth or early fifth century (Ghica 2012: 219). Additionally, the Christianisation of the village is attested to by some graffiti visible in the rubble of the central building (Ghica 2012: 219). |
Archaeological research | This site, unfortunately, has remained unexcavated. It was first mentioned briefly by Guy Wagner (1987: 172-173 & 1991: 2038), after which, the Institut français d’archéologie orientale conducted three missions, resulting in a topographical plan of the site and analysis of the surface ceramic. These missions were carried out in February 2007 (V. Ghica), September (V. Ghica and D. Laisney) and December 2008 (M. Wuttmann, S. Merchand and V. Ghica) (Ghica 2012: 217). |
• Ghica, V. 2012. “Pour une histoire du christianisme dans le désert Occidental d’Égypte.” Journal des savants 2: 189-280.
• Ghica, V. 2016. “Vecteurs de la christianisation de l’Egypte au IVe siècle à la lumière des sources archéologiques.” In Acta XVI Congressus Internationalis Archaeologiae Christianae, Rome 22-28.9.2013, edited by Olof Brandt, Gabriele Castiglia, 199, 241, fig. 2, Fig. 9a. Città del Vaticano: Pontificio Istituto di Archeologia Cristiana.
• Wagner, G. 1987. Les Oasis d’Égypte à l’époque grecque, romaine et byzantine d’après les documents grecs: Recherches de papyrologie et d’épigraphie grecques, 172-173. Cairo: Institut français d’archéologie orientale.
• Wagner G. 1991. “Qaṣr Nisīma.” In The Coptic Encyclopedia, edited by A.S. Atiya, 2038a. vol. 7. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.