Michałowski, Kazimierz; Dziewanowski, Andrzej [Ill.]: Karnak (New York [u.a.], 1970)

traced first of all in the temple of Amun. On the Queen’s orders, a quartzite chamber
for the sacred bark was introduced into the central part of the temple of Tuth-
mosis I and several rooms, known as the ‘Queen’s apartments’, were constructed on
both sides of the chamber. Four obelisks were erected in the temple, two between
the Fourth and Fifth Pylons in the former Hypostyle of Tuthmosis I now called
Wajet, and the other two by the eastern wall. The Eighth Pylon on the southern
side of the temple was also erected during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut.
Hatshepsut’s successor to the Egyptian throne, Tuthmosis III, pushed the country’s
frontiers to their furthest limit. We find many examples of his negative attitude
towards the Queen at Karnak — as well as within the capital. He continued to
extend the temple of Amun greatly, adding two of his own obelisks in front of the
obelisks of Tuthmosis I, whilst on the eastern side, he constructed a magnificent
hall for his Heb-Sed festival, surrounded by several chapels. However, he was still
dissatisfied and went on to encircle obelisks, erected by his aunt, with a wall which,
even if it did not completely hide the monuments (of a height of 30.70 m.), reached
a height of 20.13 m.
Tuthmosis III embarked on his activities at Karnak with the demolition and re-
building of the work of his predecessors. He completely changed the appearance
of the hall of Tuthmosis I, between the Fourth and Fifth Pylons (previously cited),
and installed the Osiride statues there, which had formerly adorned the wall of the
Temple enclosure. He also rebuilt the portico between the Fifth and Sixth Pylons,
and inscribed on it the famous list of conquered nations. During his reign, the
Sixth Pylon was encased and the king further constructed, between this pylon and
the sanctuary erected during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, a vestibule with two
pillars characteristically decorated with the lotus-bud and with papyrus in heraldic
order. Fragments of the annals of Tuthmosis III describing his victorious campaigns
are preserved on the walls of the edifice, from which it derives its name ‘Western
Hall of Annals’. A similar text appears on the wall erected on the orders of Tuth-
mosis III along the southern boundary of the northern section of Hatshepsut’s
apartments. The inscription also mentions the king’s donation to the god Amun.
The great Festival Hall, the Akh-menu, is surrounded by several edifices, including
one on two floors. Hall 10 is of special interest, as the walls are covered with beau-
tiful reliefs known as the ‘botanical garden’. The same subject is developed in certain
parts of Hall 11. In the nineteenth century, the bas-reliefs from another small hall,
adjacent to the south-western corner of the colonnaded hall, were taken to the
Louvre in Paris by the French archaeologist Prisse d’Avennes. They featured the
king bringing offerings to his predecessor. At the moment of discovery, it was
possible to identify sixty-one royal cartouches — a most valuable document for
studies on the chronology of Ancient Egypt. These premises derive their name
‘The Hall of the Ancestors’ from these bas-reliefs.
Tuthmosis III also built a smaller temple adjacent to the eastern facade of the Great
Temple of Amun, between the two obelisks of Hatshepsut. On the southern side,
in front of Hatshepsut’s pylon, the king erected a new pylon, namely the Seventh,
9 and a chapel by the side of the Sacred Lake. The courtyard which was thus created