The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...
The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...
The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
111 order to make tliL- account of the- (.-xcuvii-<br />
tion more int<strong>el</strong>ligible, it seems best to preface<br />
it Avitba sbort description of tlie <strong>temple</strong>, wliicb<br />
will give a general idea of its plan, a])pearancc,<br />
and cbief peculiarities.<br />
On a rectangular pl<strong>at</strong>form (aa on tlie<br />
annexed sketcb-plan, wliicli is not to scale), arti-<br />
ilcially cut out of tbe rock, stands tlie square<br />
base of tbe pyramid (b), round wbicb is a colon-<br />
nade or ambul<strong>at</strong>ory (cc). Outside tbe outer<br />
wall of tins (dd), -vvbicb Avas covered witli r<strong>el</strong>iefs,<br />
was anotber colonnade (ke), whicli bas partially<br />
disappeared. Tbe i)l<strong>at</strong>form Avas approacbed by<br />
CLIFFS<br />
a ramp (i), iu tbe centre of tb(! eastern side,<br />
wliicb was flanked by colonnades on tbe lower<br />
lev<strong>el</strong> (gg). On tbe X. and S. sides of the pl<strong>at</strong>form<br />
were open courts (hh), tbeir floors lev<strong>el</strong> witb<br />
tbose of tbe eastern colonnades. At the Avestern<br />
end tbe pl<strong>at</strong>form Avas narroAved into a colonnaded<br />
court bene<strong>at</strong>h the clitl's. In it is the descending<br />
dromos (i) of tbe royal cenotaph, or gre<strong>at</strong> tomb-<br />
like sanctuary of tbe royal /.v(. Behind this, <strong>at</strong><br />
the base of tlic clifis, is a transverse bypostyle<br />
ball (.1 : not to scale ; actually much longer in<br />
proportion to tlie ])vramidj, witb a small sanc-<br />
tuary or rrJla. BetAveen tbe tomb-sanctuary<br />
Illl'; 'JIOMI'M'; AM» IIS KXfAVA'ridN. !:t<br />
and the pyramid were the chap<strong>el</strong>s and graves of<br />
the priestesses of M<strong>at</strong>hor Avho Avere buried in<br />
the <strong>temple</strong>. To the north of these AA'as the<br />
XYIllth Dynasty shrine of H<strong>at</strong>hor (noAvremoved<br />
to Cairo), and its forehall (k), discoA'ered in 11)00.<br />
(<strong>The</strong> position of the larger shrine of H<strong>at</strong>hor, in<br />
the Gre<strong>at</strong> Temple, Avbich Avas excav<strong>at</strong>ed by<br />
Mariette many years ago, is indic<strong>at</strong>ed by tbe<br />
letter L.) <strong>The</strong> Avliole building Avas surrounded<br />
by a temenos boundary ;<br />
a high Avail of limestone<br />
flanked it for a considerable distance on tbe<br />
north and south sides (the northern Avail used<br />
to be regarded as the southernmost AA^all of the<br />
XVII Itb Dynasty <strong>temple</strong>). <strong>The</strong> rectangular<br />
court (ai) AA^as completed by a low brick Avail (nn).<br />
Witb this sketch-plan should be compared the<br />
detailed plan on Pl<strong>at</strong>e ii., and the general views<br />
on ri<strong>at</strong>es iv., vi. and vii.<br />
2. Thk Site.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gre<strong>at</strong> Temple of Queen H<strong>at</strong>shepsu <strong>at</strong><br />
<strong>Deir</strong> <strong>el</strong>-Babari, as it stands to-day, Avith its<br />
ramps, terraces and courts cleared of tbe rubbish<br />
Avhich bad accumul<strong>at</strong>ed over them during the<br />
course of ages, and Avitli its f;imous historical<br />
r<strong>el</strong>iefs conserved and protected from further<br />
damage, is and Avill remain a monument of the<br />
Avork of the Egypt Explor<strong>at</strong>ion Fund.<br />
And noAv another <strong>temple</strong> bas been added to<br />
the first. Tbe present-day visitor to <strong>Deir</strong> <strong>el</strong>-<br />
<strong>Bahari</strong> sees bene<strong>at</strong>h tbe shadoAv of the gre<strong>at</strong><br />
cliff's of the <strong>The</strong>ban hills tAvo <strong>temple</strong>s standing<br />
side by side : to the north the splendid terraces<br />
of ll<strong>at</strong>sbepsu's fane, to the south a smaller, much<br />
more ruined building. This is the ncAvly dis-<br />
covered funerary <strong>temple</strong> of King ^Mentulietep<br />
Neb-hepet-Iva, Avbich has been brought to light<br />
by the renewed excav<strong>at</strong>ions carried on by the<br />
Fund during the last three seasons. <strong>The</strong> ncAv<br />
<strong>temple</strong> is by no means so consijicuous as its<br />
f<strong>el</strong>loAV : it lies lower, it has no gre<strong>at</strong> colonnaded<br />
terraces, no high trilithon g<strong>at</strong>e, to <strong>at</strong>tract the<br />
eve ; in fact it seems oversbadoAved and almost<br />
overborne by the grandeur of its gre<strong>at</strong> neigh-