We now pass out towards the High Gate on our way to the 18th
Dynasty temple, and notice on our way the remains of a small gateway of
Nectanebis I leading into its sacred enclosure .
This, as we have already seen, is the oldest ( and also the newest )
building at Medinet Habu, dating from the time of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III,
and embodying in its structure parts of a building of Amenhotep I, but coming
down, in its later portions, to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, the latest
inscription on its walls dating from the reign of Antoninus Pius . Entrance to
the building is gained by a gate within the High Gate, and leading into the
Second Court of the temple, and as we thus are enabled to see first the most
ancient part of the building it will be best to proceed westwards from this
point, leaving the more modern parts to the east to be seen later .
Passing out of the Second Court, we find ourselves in a gallery
surrounding the sanctuary . This is the most ancient part of the temple, having
been begun by Amenhotep I and carried on by Tuthmosis I and II, Hatshepsut, and
Tuthmosis III .
The reliefs on the sanctuary are of some interest . Meneptah ( 19th
Dynasty ) has an inscription on the doorway, stating that he had given orders
for the repair of the temple .
On the right-hand side of the doorway, Tuthmosis III receives life from
Amen-Rê . Within the building the reliefs are of Tuthmosis III, restored and
added to by Seti I .
At the west end of the sanctuary, left hand, Tuthmosis is led by Hathor
and Atûm before Amûn, who writes on the leaves of the sacred tree ; while above
this scene he dances before Amûn .
Outside the sanctuary there are some sorely damaged
reliefs relating to the foundation of the temple, the cutting of the first sod,
moulding of the first brick, etc. .
The chambers behind the sanctuary contain nothing of special interest,
except an unfinished shrine of red granite in the last room on the right . The
king is seen in the presence of various gods, and is embraced by Amen-Rê .
Additions were made to this part of the temple by Hakar ( 400 B.C. ) and by
Ptolemy VIII Physcon ( Euergetes II ) .
Returning to the Second Court, we see that it had originally a row of
nine columns on either side, and was, in fact, really a hypostyle hall . It was
probably originally the work of Tuthmosis III, but was, as we see it, due to
the later restoration of Hakar . On the north side of the court is a gateway of
granite, leading out to the Sacred Lake . This is the work of Petamenôpet ( or Padiamenopet
), a famous official of the 26th Dynasty, whose tomb at El-Assasif (
No. 033 ), has the distinction of being the longest in the Theban necropolis,
and longer than any of the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings ( 860 feet )
.
The east wall of this court is also the back of the second pylon . It
bears inscriptions of the time of Tuthmosis III, Haremhab, Seti I, Ramses II,
and Pinûtem I ( or pinedjem I ), the last of whom ( 1026 B.C. ) claims to have
found " The Splendid Throne of Amen-Rê " in ruins and to have
restored it . Taharqa, of the 25th, or Ethiopian Dynasty, is
represented on the back of the pylon in the usual attitude of slaying his
enemies . The pylon owes its present condition to rebuilding by Shabaka, also
of the 25th Dynasty, and to subsequent restorations by the Ptolemys
.
Beyond this pylon and in front of The First Pylon is a small court or a
shallow vestibule of Nectanebis I, it was erected in Ptolemaic and Roman days, with
eight beautiful flower columns ( four bud columns on either side ), of which
two still survive complete, and a portal at the east end . The columns are
connected by screen walls, which were never finished .
East of this vestibule rises the First Pylon, which is a piece of
Ptolemaic work, and is largely built of blocks stolen from earlier buildings,
the Ramesseum .
One of the screens incorporates a red granite stele of Tuthmosis III .
In front of this vestibule was laid out in Roman days a large forecourt
with enclosing wall and gateways .
It will be seen that all the east end of the temple,
which is what is been and admired at once by the visitor to Medinet Habu, is of
comparatively late date, in fact, a matter of the day before yesterday, so far
as Egyptian chronology is concerned . In addition, the work, using up as it
does so much material from earlier temples, is often very rough .
Yet undoubtedly the impression produced by the façade of the temple,
with its two graceful flower columns, and the great gateway behind, and the
touches of colour which are still to be seen in the capitals of the columns and
the winged disk above the gate, is a singularly pleasing one . It may not be as
characteristically Egyptian as are the façades of some other temples ; but it
is quite delightful all the same .
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