Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut dates from the 18th dynasty and is the best-preserved temple at Deir el- Bahari on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes. What is striking is its unique architecture. The pylons are replaced by open pillared halls at the beginning of each terrace. The entire temple is built of limestone.

The entire basin of Deir el- Bahari is the gods Hathor and Amun -Re consecrated mainly, besides also in Chemmis Horus, Anubis, Amun and Iunmutef. The temple was in use until Ptolemaic times. In Coptic time was built on the temple the Phoibammon Monastery. The monastery was in use until the 11th century and visited by various bishops. The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut is a so-called million year house.

• 2.1 portico and terraces
• 2.2 The Hathor Chapel
• 2.3 The Anubis Chapel
• 2.4 sun temple
• 2.5 Chapel of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I.
• 2.6 Chapels of Amun -Re

History

The temple was built in about 15 years, from 7 to 22 year of the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. The steward is regarded as the architect Senmut, whereupon various hidden representations Senenmut and the presence of the planned for him, unfinished tomb ( TT353 ) point below the first terrace. Despite much speculation about the relationship between Hatshepsut and Senmut, the exact position that he held at the court and the reason why he was later not buried under the temple, unknown. Besides Senmut Hapuseneb, Nehesy, Djehuti, Minmose were still involved in the construction of the temple, which is occupied by names stones that were installed in the temple and in the ramps. During the Damnatio memoriae, which also Queen Hatshepsut was concerned, the temple was badly damaged. Many wall depictions and statues were destroyed.

In the 19th century Auguste Mariette had performed here first soundings, but not documented. Only Édouard Naville, who worked at Deir el- Bahri for the British Egypt Exploration Fund from 1893-1897 and 1903-1906, admitted the first two winter the boulder crashed and the Coptic monastery to the lying under the debris of millennia temple parts reach. Howard Carter, also employed by EDF, copied the paintings and inscriptions together with other artists. Naville documented his work in detail in seven volumes: The Temple of Deir el Bahari. ( = Egypt Exploration Fund. [ EDF ], Vol 12-14, 16, 19, 27, 29). 7 volumes, London, 1894-1898.

Later excavations were carried out 1911-1931 by Herbert E. Winlock for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Émile Baraize for the Egyptian Antiquities Service, documented in " Herbert Winlock: Excavations at Deir el Bahri: 1911-1931, 1942 ."

Part of the destroyed during the Damnatio memoriae statue pillars were found in 1934 by an expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in a nearby quarry and reconstructed.

Zygmunt Wysocki and Janus Karkowski led from 1961 especially reconstruction and restoration work by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of Warsaw University in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Assassination attempt of 17 November 1997

In an attack on the temple grounds on 17 November 1997 68 people lost their lives. Most of them were Western tourists, 36 of them Swiss.

Architecture

From the temple complex that just about one kilometer long procession road leads east to the Valley Temple of Hatshepsut at the edge of the fruit country. From the valley temple from further to the Nile and on the other side of the river on to the Temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak. The Processional Way was originally lined on either side by sphinxes. The sphinxes were made ​​of sandstone and came from the quarry Jabal al-Silsilah.

Portico and terraces

The idiosyncratic temple architecture differs from the classical temples of first pylon → court → 2 pylon → courtyard consist → portico, in that here the classical pylons were replaced by Portico ( pillared halls ) and the subsequent courts in terraces up connect and are connected by ramps.

From the east it passes through the about one kilometer long procession road to a large courtyard, on the west side of the first portico ( position 8 on the map), a colonnade of two rows of pillars, is located. This is open to the east and on both sides of the portico is ever a colossal statue of Hatshepsut. The first portico consists of the obelisk hall, left (south ) of the ramp. It bears this name because in the wall displays mainly the production in Aswan, the transportation and erection of two obelisks at Karnak Temple are represented. The right (northern ) Hall is designated as a hunting hall, because mostly hunting scenes are shown from the hunting of waterfowl and fish.

In the middle of a ramp leads to the first terrace. Back on the west side of this terrace is the second portico ( item 10 on the map), this is also open to the east and there are here in the middle of a ramp to the second terrace. The second portico is on the left side of the Punthalle in which the murals a Handeslexpedition to Punt in the ninth year of the reign of Hatshepsut (either by Helck: ca 1471 BC: about 1459 BC or after Krauss) from representing and right birth Hall, in which the divine birth of Hatshepsut is shown. Left the Hathor chapel Anubiskapelle Adjoining the Punthalle ( position 11) and the birth Hall right (Position 12).

The second terrace is opened directly from a portico, which leads you to the patio. There are 26 statues of Hatshepsut, which are very well preserved in part at the front. The northern and southern walls are decorated with ritual cycles of the king. The west wall was decorated under Hatshepsut with a larger text under Thutmosis III. was replaced by other reliefs. By Granittor in the third portico leads to the terrace. From the central courtyard ( position 13 ) of this terrace you straight passes into the Hauptsanktuar of Amun - Re ( position 14 ), right in the sun temple (Position 15) and the southern chapel of Amun - Re and left, heading to the chapels of Hatchepsut and of Thutmose I ( position 16 ), the northern chapel of Amun - Re and into a room with a window, whose function is unclear. The central courtyard of the second terrace is also called Festhof. The wall displays show the procession at Talfest of Karnak to the temple. In the walls of the courtyard there are different niches in which stood statues of Hatshepsut.

The Chapel of Hathor

To the left of the Punthalle there is a small portico in front of the Chapel of Hathor. The central columns are decorated with Hathor capitals. This portico interior opens into a vestibule, through which one enters the portico of the chapel. The right wall of the vestibule shows a picture with Hathor, represented as a cow. In the adjacent portico, the right wall is decorated with a representation of a procession of soldiers with their boats. The back wall with the entrance to another vestibule of the chapel is with representations on which the Hathor - cow of Hatshepsut licks the hand and with ritual Laufzenen, left and right of the bird running rowing running decorated.

In the first room of the chapel, the figure shows on the left wall as Weret Hekau sacrifices a Menit. On the wall opposite the entrance you can see next to the passage to the rooms behind the office per a Hathor - standard and on the lintel of the royal title of Thutmose II and Thutmose III. The top two lines, the gate is a door of Hatshepsut ( changed to Thutmose III. ) Respectively. Stands on the two horizontal columns on either side of the door that has Hatchepsut ( changed to Thutmose III. ) The temple for her mother Hathor, chief of Thebes built, (picture). On the left wall is Queen Hatshepsut ( changed to Thutmose III. ) Before the goddess Hathor, and on the entrance wall to see the ball game before the goddess. In the next room there are four niches. Behind it is a small room with a view on the Hatshepsut ( changed to Thutmose III. ) To Amun of Hathor is embraced. In a small side room on the left is a portrait of Senmut.

The Anubis Chapel

Behind the portico of the Anubiskapelle lies the real sanctuary. The portico contains 12 columns. On the right side wall Anubis and Hatshepsut were shown, this representation was destroyed. Further back on the right wall there are depictions of Osiris, Re - Harachte, Nekhbet and Hatshepsut. On the opposite the open side of the portico wall a Opferungs scene is left of the passage to the next room shown, sacrifices will be made in the Amun. To the right of the passage is a Opferungs scene depicted, sacrifices will be made in the Anubis. The portico has both the right and left of a niche. The right niche is a depiction of Sokar and Thutmose III (picture). decorated. From the portico, it goes into a small elongated room, at the end turn right into an equally elongated space, the rear left is a niche.

Another Anubis consecrated chapel is located north of the sun and the sanctuary can be reached by this. There is a small chapel with a little wall decoration.

Sun temple

The sun temple consists of an open courtyard and a large sun altar, which is accessible via a staircase. By Vestilül to get from the third terrace in the court of the Sun Shrine. The walls of the sun sanctuary were not decorated. On the walls of the vestibule, the night journey of the sun from sunset to sunrise is shown.

Chapel of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I.

The sanctuary of Hatshepsut is next to the main chapel of Amun is the largest sanctuary in the temple. Is located on the side opposite the entrance, a false door of granite. A vaulted ceiling is the roof. From the original rich decoration almost nothing remains. Through the vestibule through which one enters the sanctuary of Hatshepsut, one arrives in the sanctuary of Tuthmosis I, also decoration is hardly obtained.

Chapels of Amun -Re

Via a large gate made ​​of granite to get into the first room of Amun-Re sanctuary. In this space, the main chapel are two statues of Hatshepsut, unfortunately they lack the heads, two more statues are occupied but not received. Through the back door of the room leads into the other rooms of the sanctuary. At the time of Hatshepsut ended up in this room the procession of Talfestes. The space is covered by a vaulted ceiling and has four niches. About two doors there is a small window through which the sun's rays appeared earlier in the sanctuary and then beaming the statue of Amun -Re.

The northern chapel of Amun -Re is a small, elongated space. The back wall is a wall display of Amun -Re in embrace with Thutmose II on the side walls Opferungs scenes are shown.

The southern chapel of Amun -Re is a small and almost square room, on the walls Opferungs scenes have been preserved.