Shrine of Hathor at the Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut .. Part ( 7 )

To the south of the Punt colonnade stands the partly ruined shrine of Hathor, corresponding in position to the chapel of Anubis at the end of the north colonnade .

The shrine was originally approached by a separate door and a ramp or staircase outside the south wall of the central court .

The actual shrine is preceded by a pronaos consisting of two separate colonnades . The first of these colonnades had, in front, four square pillars with Hathor capitals, and behind these a double row consisting of eight sixteen-sided columns, with four square pillars in the centre . The second colonnade had four round Hathor-headed columns, of which three partly survive, and sixteen-sided columns ( six partly preserved ) .

The north and west walls of this inner section of the pronaos have some interesting reliefs .

On the north wall is a festal scene with a procession of soldiers in gala equipment, and above them two rows of state galleys, with canopies, thrones, fan-bearers, and adornments, waiting for the king and queen .

Further on Tuthmosis III offers a sacred oar to Hathor .

On the west wall is a scene with Hatshepsut ( usurped by Tuthmosis III ) dancing before Hathor . And also a scene in which Hathor, as a cow, licks the hand of the Pharaoh .

This scene is repeated on the other side of the doorway into the inner shrine .

We now enter the first of the chambers of the shrine proper . a small two-pillared hall from which four little shrines open off ( No. 1 in the plan ) .

It has its roof decorated with stars on a blue ground, and is adorned with reliefs representing Hatshepsut ( erased ) or Tuthmosis III offering before Hathor .

We rise one step, passing through a fine doorway with Hathor emblems, into the Outer Sanctuary ( No. 2 in the plan ) .

Which has on either side of it a fine scene of the Hathor cow standing under a canopy on the sacred barque, while Hatshepsut ( erased ) makes offerings to her . In front of Hatshepsut stands the little nude boy-deity figure of Aha ( or Ihy ), son of Hathor, shaking a sistrum .

The Innermost Sanctuary ( No. 3 in the plan ) has a vaulted roof . It has two fine reliefs of the Hathor cow, with Hatshepsut drinking from its udder, and Amûn standing in front of its head .

On the end wall is a beautiful relief of Hatshepsut between Amûn and Hathor, Amûn holding the Ankh to the queen's nose .

We return to the central court, in order to get access to the foot of the ramp which leads up to the highest terrace . As we pass across the upper end of the court we notice on our right hand the tomb of Queen Nofru ( or Neferu ) of the 11^th Dynasty ( TT 319 ) . The sarcophagus-chamber may be inspected ( lights necessary ) . This tomb was discovered by the Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of New York in 1924-1925 .

Part ( 8 ) .. Coming SoOoOon .....

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