View of the first pylon, south part; Medinet Habu is the site of a temple complex at the southern end of the Theban necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile. It consists of several buildings within an enclosure, dominated by the 'Great Temple' of Ramesses III [reigned ca. 1187-1156 BCE]. This structure is set within a double girdle wall originally pierced by two gates. The western gate was destroyed in a siege, but the perfectly preserved gate on the east is of considerable architectural interest, being a full-scale model of a fortified tower, reproducing a number of its defensive features. Responsiveness to foreign influence is best exemplified by the eastern gate at Medinet Habu, built in imitation of a Syrian fortified tower or migdol, t...