Notice : The illustration below the text
Ascending the ramp, we reach the upper court . A colonnade formerly ran
along the face of this court, on the upper level .
It consisted of two rows, the front one of twenty-two Osirid statues of
Hatshepsut, subsequently converted into square pillars by Tuthmosis III, the
back row of the same number of sixteen-sided columns . This is now in almost
complete ruin .
Beyond it we pass through the magnificent granite trilithon portal, on
which the cartouche of Tuthmosis III has everywhere replaced that of its original
builder, Hatshepsut .
And enter the wreck of a large court or hall with the remains of a
double row of columns round it .
Across the court, we are faced by a set of wall niches, with the door
leading to the sanctuary in the middle . To these we shall return .
Meanwhile we turn to the right, and enter, by a door in the north-east
corner of the court, a small vestibule, once adorned by three sixteen-sided
columns .
On the inside of the doorway, left side, is a relief of Hatshepsut (
replaced by a figure of Tuthmosis II ), standing between Harakhte and Amûn .
In a niche on the wall opposite the door, the end-wall has a figure of
Amûn, defaced but not irretrievably .
And the side-walls have scenes of Hatshepsut at table, with the erased
figure of a priest at the other side . Here, most unusually, Hatshepsut's
figure has escaped mutilation . A well-rendered vulture of El-Kâb over-shadows
her .
We now pass by a door on the left into the Altar Court of this series of
chambers . The centre of the court is occupied by a large limestone altar,
dedicated by Hatshepsut to Harakhte of Heliopolis . It was approached by ten
steps from the west side, so that the officiating priest faced the sun whom he
was worshipping .
On the right hand ( north ) of the altar, there is a small funerary
chapel, which was apparently dedicated to the worship of Hatshepsut's ancestors
( Anubis or Tuthmosis I ) . Hatshepsut's figure here was erased by Tuthmosis
III, and the figures of all the gods were erased by Akhenaten, so that
comparatively little is left of the figure-work in the fine relief . Tuthmosis
I survives on the end wall of the first chamber ; and on the north wall of the
little chamber leading off this, there are well-preserved and coloured figures
of Tuthmosis I and his mother Sensonb ; while on the wall opposite is a figure
of Hatshepsut's mother, Ahmôse .
We re-enter the open court and pass along to its western end, where a
door on the right admits us to the Hall of Amûn, or North-western Hall of
Offerings .
In this hall Amûn is identified with Min, as is often the case . The
reliefs, which mostly represented Hatshepsut offering gifts to Min-Amûn or
Amûn, have been cruelly mutilated ; but one figure of Tuthmosis III, with his
characteristic profile, survives .
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