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The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...

The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...

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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-

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