A town that was officially founded by the emperor Hadrian on 30 October AD 130 in memory of his favourite Antinous, who drowned here while apparently saving his master. However, archaeological investigations have revealed that there was already a protodynastic cemetery on the site, on top of which is a temple dating to the reign of Ramesses II. A number of columns from the inner courtyard of this temple have been preserved. A lot of material from El-Amarna was used in building the temple. The oldest part of the city lies around this temple, where objects dating to the Ptolemaic Period have been found. Hadrian's town was built on top of these older monuments, complete with triumphal arch, a theatre, a hippodrome and an encircling wall.