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 Beyond the Sixth Pylon in the Temple of Amun at
Karnak in Thebes (modern
Luxor) is an inverted T-shaped area where the top of the T is made up of the peristyle
court of Tuthmosis
III, and the leg of the T is a barque sanctuary filled by the granite
naos of Philip Arrhidaeu, who was
Alexander the Great's immediate
successor for a brief period of time.
After building the Sixth Pylon, Tuthmosis
III divided the peristyle
court
beyond the pylon into three sections, by two walls that formed a central chamber
in front of the sanctuary built by Philip Arrhidaeu, which itself replaced
an earlier repository build during the reign of Tuthmosis III. On the walls of this
chamber, together with the east facade of the sixth pylon and the outer walls of
the sanctuary, Tuthmosis III had inscribed a record of his twenty years of
campaigns abroad, resulting in the name, "chamber of the Annals",
being given to this section of the temple. At one time, the chamber was covered
by a roof with architraves resting on so-called heraldic pillars.
In the southern wing of this chamber, on the interior (east side) of the
Sixth Pylon, to the right are the remains of the granite doorpost of the
pylon's doorway. On the sandstone revetment to the  left we find Amun introducing
the king. Behind Amun there is a line of inscriptions recording Horemheb's
restoration in this part of the temple, which is followed by the two last lines
of the famous text of the Annals of Tuthmosis
III on the walls of the sanctuary
where he recounts the events related to the building of a fortress in Lebanon.
His Majesty returned, disembarking at Thebes, and celebrated the victory feast
for his first campaign of the year 23. Then, "while the majesty of that
august neter [Amun] navigated his way toward Ipet of the South [Luxor]",
the king deposited very large offerings of all kinds at the entrance to this
temple.
In a long list of these gifts, which consisted of slaves, livestock, precious
metals, gemstones as well as territories, there is a record of three cities,
including Yanoam, from which he received "flocks of geese for the sacred
pool", offerings for his new sed-festival temple, for his
obelisks, for his
statues and for the feast of Min's emergence.
Tuthmosis III
also tells us of the
creation of a new garden "planted with all manner of pleasing trees"
for the daily plant offerings.
"Thus, My Majesty has created all monuments, all laws, all
regulations...To my father Amun...for great is my knowledge of his glory. I
was instructed within his perfection, resting within his body..."
The final two lines here provide additional offerings, including 318 white
breads, which were cakes in the shape of the pyramidian crowning an obelisk.
 In the northwest corner of the chamber is a statue of Amun
in profile in
front of the inner wall of the north wing of the sixth pylon, and behind it is
text recording the tributes received during the course of Tuthmosis
III's final
campaigns during the years 39 and 42 of his reign. It ends with a text that
reads:
"Behold, His Majesty commanded the recounting of the victories he
has won from the year 23 to the year 42, when this inscription was written
upon his sanctuary..."
Legrain tells us that:
"There are two statues erected in front o the north doorway of the
fore-sanctuary {Chamber of the Annals), on the east side one in the image of
Amunet, on the west, Amun. These colossal statues measure around six meters in
height. They are carved out of the deep-toned red sandstone."
The statue of Amun
was found, but it was broken into many pieces. However,
behind the feathers on his headdress an inscription provides the Horus name of
Tutankhamun and over his cartouches those of Horemheb. The fragmentary body of
Amunet was also discovered, but there was no head. Both statues were doubtless
erected during the reign of Tutankhamun and usurped by Horemheb. They were
probably destroyed during the Roman or
Coptic period.
 In front of his original naos
that Philip Arrhidaeu built over in the sanctuary, Tuthmosis
III erected two granite pillars that bear four scenes on their
east and west sides and symbolic plants of the Two Lands on their north and
south sides which show admirable detail. These are the only examples of their type known, and their
architectural role has been the subject of some scholarly debate. On the
southern pillar, the king wears the white crown and in the top register he is
embraced by Amunet, while below by Amun. On the northern pillar, the king wears
the red crown and is embraced by
Hathor and then Amun. On the southeast corner
of the southern pillar, above the plants is the cartouche of Tuthmosis
Neferkhepru, and above this we see the king embraced by the Goddess, Mut. Mut
once again embraces the king in the upper section on the east side of the
northern pillar.
Left: The king embraced by Mut on the South
Pillar;
Middle: The king embraced by Mut on the North Pillar;
Right: The King embraced by Amun
 To either side of the Chamber of the Annals is the peristyle
court of Tuthmosis
III, where he erected a portico of fasciculate columns with sixteen
cusps each. Their bases were finely worked, and they front small chapels to the
far north and far south of each wing, respectively. In the north wing, on the
outer southern facing walls of the chapels, are several interesting depictions.
On one, the king holds the akh bird, an Ibis, in one hand and four long stakes
in the other, perhaps for holding the net for a bird hunt. He makes the
"great stride" before Hathor
who presents him with the menat. She also
holds the palm of the years. Hathor's son, Ihy, who is completely nude, is in
front of her, holding a sistrum toward the inscription that provide the name of
the chapel, House of Horus.
Above the lintel of one of the other northern chapels is a very curious
depiction of a small individual standing in the back of a papyrus boat behind a
person of larger proportions who is probably the king. The King in such a boat
is not  uncommon, and we find similar representations in the temple of Luxor and
the tomb of Ay. However, what is so unusual about this depiction is that the
legs and feet of the smaller individual are completely formed of duck heads.
Thanks to an old photograph of a neighboring block which has now disappeared, we
know that the smaller figure is actually that of an obscure god named Kheddw, an
ancient fishing deity.
Beyond these pillars is the sanctuary and the granite barque naos
of Philip Arrhidaeu that
replaced the more ancient repository build during the reign of Tuthmosis
III. It is divided into two halves, with an outer area where offerings were
made to the gods, and the inner where the god's barque reposed. Originally, a structure stood before it with sandstone pillars that were bored
with small holes at their bases, probably to hold either electrum or gold
plating. P. Barquet suggests that within the structure was placed the two
obelisks "of clear electrum" amounting to 2,500 talents that
Ashurbanipal was said to have brought away from Thebes
in 656 BC, "where
they had been erected before the doorway of the sanctuary". Electrum is a
blend of gold and silver, and their weight, which would have been equivalent to
37,875 kilograms, would have made their height an estimated 6.9 meters.
 It is on the northern wall of this sanctuary that the annals of Tuthmosis
III begin, and it has been said that this wall has in fact caused more commentary
among scholars than any other area in the entire temple of
Karnak. Here,
Tuthmosis III holds the makes cane and the white hedj club in one hand and the
sekhem scepter in the other, consecrating the wealth of offering before him on
behalf of Amun.
The offerings include coffers, gold bracelets with precious stones, alabaster
jars "filled with pure unguent for the divine rituals, a vessel of precious
stone that His Majesty made following the intention of his own heart", and
all other manner of objects, all counted and specified. There are two large
masts standing between the king and these offerings, each recording a different
inscription. The one on the left records the two great obelisks that were in
front of the fourth pylon of which nothing currently remains but their bases.
The mast on the right refers to the erection of the "great granite obelisks
with electrum pyramidions", which are probably the two placed in front of
the seventh pylon. One of these is now in Istanbul.
Below this immense scene that covers the entire wall from the northeast
corner to the granite doorway are sixty-seven columns of text, reading from east
to west, that record the king's first
campaign. It tells of Tuthmosis
III crossing the frontier at Tharu, in his 22nd year on the throne, to repress the
rebellion of the Asians. After a short stay in Gaza, it takes him three weeks to
arrive at Yehem. There, he holds a council of war after learning that the chief
of Kadesh was gathering all the princes of Palestine and Syria, with their
troops and horses, at Megiddo to battle the pharaoh.
Here, he discusses with his generals the route that they will take to the
battle. There were three routes open to them. The first was the most direct, but
also the most dangerous because from Aruna this route weaved through a narrow
gorge. The other two roads were perhaps safer, but led either to the north or
south of Megiddo. The generals all implored the king to take one of these safer
routes. The generals argued that:
"While they (come) and say that the enemy is there waiting,
(holding) the way against a multitude. Will not horse come behind (horses and
man behind) man likewise? Shall our (advanced guard) be fighting while our
(rear guard) is yet standing yonder in Aruna not having fought?"
The king responds:
"I (swear) as Ra loves me, as my father Amun favors me...my majesty
will proceed upon this road of Aruna! Let him who will among you go upon those
roads ye have mentioned, and let him who will among you come in the following
of my majesty! Shall they think among those enemies whom Ra detests: 'Does his
majesty proceed upon another road? He begins to be fearful of us,' so will
they think"
To this, the generals submitted:
He [the king] went forth at the head of his army himself, showing (the
way) by his (own) footsteps, horse behind (horse), (His Majesty) being at the
head of his army.
As Tuthmosis, one of the most celebrated generals in ancient Egyptian
history, hoped, the enemy was surprised by the route he took. The enemy was
divided into two wings, each covering the "safer" routes. Hence,
indeed as the fore guard filled the hollow of the valley
pharaoh's rear guard was still in Aruna, but the enemy was
unaware of this and Tuthmosis
III's army was able to consolidate prior to their finding
out. There, in the valley near Megiddo, the Egyptian camp was
raised and orders were given for an attack on the morning of
the next day, when:
"His majesty went forth in a chariot of electrum
arrayed in his weapons of war like Horus the Smiter [in the
center of his division], [and when those leagued against him]
saw his majesty  prevailing against them, they fled...in
fear...".
The granite naos
of Philip Arrhidaeus, which was probably not actually build by
him but on his behalf by Ptolemy
I, is formed from two long chambers that
correspond externally to two buildings of different heights
placed end to end. The western half is taller than the eastern
portion. The exterior north face of the western half is
adorned with an immense tableau depicting Amun-Min
Kamutef, sheathed in white. He stands on a bulwark surmounting
an altar which in turn is supported by a staircase. Behind the
deity is depicted a large, rectangular piece of red cloth,
stretched between two falcon-headed stakes and surmounted by
the words, "divine shadow". The god is preceded by
twelve insignia, of which two bear his name. These are the
bull ka (soul) and the vulture Mut
perched on the viper. This scene evokes one of the most
ancient religious feasts of Egypt, the emergence of Min, which
we find from the very first dynasties.
 East of this scene on the lower portion of the naos,
is a depiction of the king, wearing the Atef crown, consecrating offerings. He holds
the sekhem scepter and above him is wadjet,
the snake-headed vulture who is the guardian spirit of the
North.
On the other, southern exterior side of the naos
at the front of the structure (southwest corner), a jutting
cornerstone forms the pedestal on which the naos rests. This
is a reused granite block on which the Horus name
of Tuthmosis
II is carved. This is rather strange, for the stone is
carved in a way that the framing of the name is sloped with
respect to the pedestal's horizontal. An inscription in the
naos provides five columns of hieroglyphs that contain the
dedication of the sanctuary as a restoration by Philip
Arrhidaeus of Tuthmosis
III's original work. The later king tells us that the
reconstruction was necessary because the structure was on the
verge of falling into ruin. The granite terrace is obviously
composed of blocks that came from Tuthmosis III's original
structure. However this reused block probably comes from obelisks
that were broken and then carved into slabs.
The southern facade of the naos
is divided into four registers and topped by a torus and
cornice. The lowest part contains only on register, on which
are drawn the offering of four calves, of which, one is black,
another red, the third white and the last spotted. Here also
is the race of the  "great stride" by the king, who
wears the white crown
carrying the oar and the rudder.
To the left of this are three very interesting registers,
They include, from left to right, the purification of the king
by Thoth
and Horus,
who pour into a dome around the king water from two vessels.
Repeated four times is the formula, "Your purification is
my purification and reciprocally". Next, Hours and
Thoth crown the king so that he can fulfill his sacred office,
after which the king is received by Thoth. Here, the king
kneels before Amun,
who sits upon a throne, though the king has his back turned to
the god, looking in the same direction. The king receives life
and the confirmation of his royalty, and then, with the
features of a child having curly locks, receives the divine
milk.
On the naos of Philip Arrhidaeus, the scenes of purification, imposition
of the crowns and the royal accent and enthronement
Depicted in the middle register is the sacred barque
leaving the sanctuary on the shoulders of priests. It is then
deposited in a chapel that marks one of the resting stations,
before continuing on to the second repository. On the bottom
register, the barque returns, first by water and  towed by
the king himself who stands in a skiff, and then on the
shoulders of priests, as the king purified it with incense.
The final scene depicts a quadruple purification, with the
white vessels, of the sacred barque which is now returned to
its sanctuary.
In the interior of the naos,
we find that the ceiling was painted with gold stars on a blue
background. On the interior northwest wall are four registers
on which the rituals of the Daily Divine Worship of Amun
under two different forms are depicted in alternation. On the
third register of the southern wall near the entrance, a
hunting scene with nets can also be recognized.
Flanking the sanctuary and naos
is an area known as Hatshepsut's
temple. To the north, there are a few notable scenes in the
southeastern most room. Here, on the interior north wall. The
bas-reliefs here were once on the outside of the south wall of
this same room, but were covered over by the "wall of the
Annals" when Tuthmosis
III made the central portion of the temple into a single
room what four pillars. Legrain removed Hatshepsut's reliefs,
block by bock, and  remounted them in the location they are
found today.
In these scenes, Hatshepsut
is taking the "great stride" in front of Amun-Ra
Kamutef. Actually, the queen and her cartouches were
hammered out, presumably by Tuthmosis
III, but with such care that the silhouette of her red crown,
her two vessels and the hieroglyphics
of her name can still be recognized. However, the face and
name of Amun was spared by Akhenaten,
because by his reign they were hidden by the wall of the
Annals.
We also find Thoth
and Horus,
each standing on pedestals, purifying Hatshepsut,
who has again been hammered out. Only the scarabs have been
spared this destruction.
Within the southern wing of Hatshepsut's
temple, notable, is a seated statue of Amenhotep
II.  He holds a second figure, now completely destroyed, by
the shoulder. Above the king's nemes
headdress he wears the atef
crown. Above the horizontal horns of Khnum
rises a bouquet of long, finely carved feathers, bound at the
top and framed by two ostrich plumes. This is a very fine sculpture
in the round with excellent details.
On the southern exterior wall of the south wing of Hatshepsut's
temple, at the western end is recorded the "Texts of the
Youth" of Tuthmosis
III. The king is seated within a columned building on a
terraced pedestal. Behind him, his Horus name,
"Mighty Bull Shining in Thebes", is recorded. His throne
is adorned with scales and plants of the North and South,
bound together around the sign of union. On the pedestal, two
Nile gods are linking the "Two Lands". Flanking
them, looking in opposing directions, are two lions. The one
on the left overlays an earlier depiction of Amun,
recognizable by the vertical band behind his back, which dated
from the first stages of this building prior to Tuthmosis III.
This figure seems to have been intentionally left.
 In front of the "royal dais" are the first twelve
lines of the "Text of the Youth", of which the
entire upper portion has been destroyed. Here, the king, after
making a recitation of his ascension to the throne, describes
the monuments that he built. These included "A divine
abode" of white sandstone for which he performed the
laying of the foundation rituals himself. There was also a
Holy of Holies named "His Great is like the Horizon of
Heaven", which was built of sandstone from the "Red
Mountain". We are told that its interior was
"wrought with electrum". He also names three doorways that
he named and of which one is still in place. Here he also
speaks of the sixth pylon and of its great cedar door. Another
monument that he mentions is a sandstone chapel with doors of
cedar wood that he built for his fathers, the kings who were
before him. There are other monuments included in this narration
and finally, he talks of a "splendid harp wrought with
silver, gold, lapis lazuli, malachite, and every splendid
costly stone, for the praise of the beauty of his majesty (Amun)
at his appearances".
From a historical point of view, while perhaps not the most
visually spectacular sections of the Temple of Amun,
this area of the temple is very significant. We learn much
about Tuthmosis
III, and we also deduce some of the problems between him
and his stepmother, Hatshepsut.
It also contains one of the very few structures attributed to
Philip Arrhidaeus in all of Egypt.
Ground Plan of this section of the Temple of Amun
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See Also:
Resources:
| Title |
Author |
Date |
Publisher |
Reference Number |
|
Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt, The |
Wilkinson, Richard H. |
2000 |
Thames and Hudson, Ltd |
ISBN 0-500-05100-3 |
|
History of Egyptian Architecture, A (The Empire (the New Kingdom) From the Eighteenth Dynasty to the End of the Twentieth Dynasty 1580-1085 B.C. |
Badawy, Alexander |
1968 |
University of California Press |
LCCC A5-4746 |
|
Luxor, Karnak and the Theban Temples |
Siliotti, Alberto |
2002 |
American University In Cairo Press, The |
ISBN 977 424 641 1 |
|
Temples of Karnak, The |
de Lubicz, R. A. Schwaller |
1999 |
Inner Tradition |
ISBN 0-89281-712-7 |
|
Thebes
in Egypt: A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor |
Strudwick, Nigel & Helen |
1999 |
Cornell University Press |
ISBN 0 8014 8616 5 |
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