Esne

Esne (anciently Latopolis), a city on the left bank of the Nile, in the Thebaid, Upper Egypt, 28 miles S.W. of Thebes. The great temple of Esne, one of the best specimens of Egyptian architecture, is now represented by a fine portico of 24 columns, having a zodiac upon the ceiling. Some have thought the temple and its portico to be very ancient, but the prevailing opinion now is that it dates back no farther than the time of the Emperor Claudius, and that the zodiac is even later. The Sennaar caravans use the town as an entrepot, and there are potteries, shawl manufactures, and a cotton mill.