Médînet-Abou (Thèbes), Construction Antérieures - Entrée Principale 1851 - 1852

This is Félix Teynard’s photograph, taken in the mid-19th century, of the entrance to the ancient Egyptian temple of Medinet Habu near Thebes. Teynard, a French engineer and photographer, documented Egypt during a time of intense European interest in its ancient past. In this photograph, we see the temple’s massive stone walls and columns, weathered by time. The image offers a glimpse into the complex dynamics of cultural exchange and power. Teynard’s lens captures not just the monumentality of ancient Egypt, but also the colonial gaze that sought to possess and interpret it. There is a kind of melancholy that emanates from this image, between the ravages of time, and the presence of a foreign gaze. Consider how photography itself, as a relatively new technology at the time, played a role in shaping perceptions of distant lands and cultures. It invites us to reflect on the intertwined histories of art, science, and colonialism.