The Ancient Egypt: The Temple Of Khonsu .. The Karnak Temple Complex .. Part ( 6 )

The smooth surfaces of the columns, and the side-walls bear reliefs dating from the reign of the first priest-king, Herihor . At the left hand, above the south doorway on that side, two galleys( 1 )are being rowed up-stream, and are towing the sacred barge, which appears at ( 2 ), a little farther on, though indistinctly . In the middle of this ( west ) wall, appears Kind Herihor, on the galley which bears the portable sacred barge . Other galleys and barges are seen above the northern door and in the angle of the terrace ( 4,5 ), with several princes following . In the middle of the north wall of the terrace, priests bear the barge of the Theban triad, Amûn, Mût, and Khonsu, and above, the king is seen praying, dancing and offering before the gods ( 6 ) .

Returning now to the entrance of the forecourt, we take the right-hand ( east ) wall . Over the south doorway on the wall we have the king worshiping various gods . Next ( 8 ) is a representation of the pylon of the temple, showing eight flagstaves, instead of four . The method of fastening the staves, by means of heavy clamps of wood and bronze projecting from the windows in the upper part of the pylon towers, can be seen . Farther on ( 9 ), the king worships before the sacred barques of the triad . On the wall of the terrace ( 10 ) the king offers flowers to an image of Mîn, who is borne on the shoulders of priests . The north wall shows the barge of Amûn being carried by priests, and the king receiving gifts from Khonsu ( 11,12 ) .

We now enter the Hypostyle Hall, which occupies the whole breadth of the temple, but is comparatively shallow in the line of temple axis . It has eight papyrus columns, of which the four on the two sides of the central avenue have open-flower capitals, while the four side columns are of the bud type . The central columns are also 5 feet higher than the side ones, so that the hall has a central nave, with clerestory, and side-aisles . The reliefs on the walls are of the reign of Ramses XI and show him and the high-priest, Herihor, who dethroned him and usurped the throne, offering to the gods ( 13–16 ) . The doorways at both ends of this hall were either built by Nectanebis I, or restored by him . Two seated apes of the moon-god in sandstone still remain in the hall . Passing through the north doorway, we enter the hall of the Sanctuary, which was originally occupied by a red granite shrine of Amenophis II . This was incorporated in the new temple by its builder, Ramses III, and was inscribed by Ramses IV at a later stage . It is represented now only by scanty remains . Blocks in the wall of this hall bear the cartouches of Tuthmosis III and Amenophis III, so that we may conclude that the original temple is not later than the time of the first-named Pharaoh, however much older it may have been .

The reliefs on the walls to east and west of the ruined shrine show Ramses IV in the presence of the gods . Those in the right-hand corridor ( 17-25 ) are finer than those on the west side . The dark chambers behind these walls are of no interest, save that the roof is reached by a stairway from the eastern chamber .

We now reach a small hall which has four sixteen-sided columns . The reliefs here are interesting because of the contrast which they offer between the work of the Ramesside period ( Ramses IV ) and those of Roman times . At the right-hand ( east ) side of the doorway ( 26 ), the Emperor Augustus offers to the gods . The upper scenes on the east wall ( 27 ) show Ramses IV making offering to the sacred barque, while below a Roman Emperor worships Khonsu .

On the west wall ( 28 ) we have again a Roman Emperor offering to various gods, and lastly ( 29 ) Augustus again offers to Amen-Rê .

The north end of the temple is occupied by seven chapels, these have reliefs of Ramses III and Ramses IV . Those in the rooms on the eastern side still retain their colour . The chapel in the north-eastern angle of the temple has a representation of the dead Osiris, with Isis and Nephthys mourning over him .

To the west of the temple of Khonsu, and immediately adjoining the pylon, is a small temple of Osiris and Opet, the hippopotamus-goddess, who is identified with the grotesque Thouêris ( Taurt ), and who at Thebes was regarded as the mother of Osiris . This little temple is opened by request .

We enter from the west side into a rectangular two-columned portico, lit by grated windows . The columns have open-flower capitals, with heads oh Hathor superposed . Beyond this, a vestibule is flanked by two side chambers, with have, to the left, scenes of Osiris on his bier, with Isis and Nephthys, and to the right, scenes of the birth of Horus . Above the door Horus ( Harsmataui ), in the shape of a hawk wearing the Double Crown .

Passing through the vestibule we reach the Little Sanctuary, where the figure of the goddess Opet once stood in a niche . The reliefs in the niche show the king worshipping Opet in hippopotamus form, and the standard of Hathor . A crypt beneath this little temple connected it by a subterranean passage with the temple of Khonsu .