DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44744#0022
still preserved in situ. The eastern part was, however, after the construction of the
first courtyard moved in a southern direction from the axis. Two other colossi,
representing the king and his wife Nefertari, were erected on his orders next to
the Ninth Pylon. During Ramesses ’ reign two smaller sanctuaries were also built —
one to Amun, to the east of the Great Temple, and the other to the goddess Mut,
near the temple constructed during the reign of Amenhotep III.
Merenptah, successor to Ramesses II, left cartouches with his name in many places
at Karnak. Among the most important documents of that period are the reliefs
on the eastern wall of the courtyard to the north of the Seventh Pylon, showing
the battles of Merenptah with the Libyans and other Mediterranean nations, namely
the Etruscans and Achaeans.
The last ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Sethos II, not only erected a pylon near
Mut’s temple, but he also built a triple chapel in front of the Great Temple of Amun
at Karnak, dedicated to the Theban triad. The chapel was later incorporated into
the great courtyard. This suggests that Sethos II planned the final extension of
the temple in the direction of the Nile — a possibility also confirmed by his obelisk,
erected on the riverside.
Of all rulers of the Twentieth Dynasty, the greatest efforts towards embellishing
the capital were rendered by Ramesses III. He courted the favours of the priests
of Amun by erecting new sacred edifices, and as we know from the great Harris
papyrus, also donated lavishly from the royal purse to the treasury of the Amun
archpriests. The most important contribution made by Ramesses III is the temple
built on the north-south axis, next to the Second Pylon of the Temple of Amun
at Karnak. Osirian statues of the king were placed on both sides of the courtyard
This sacral construction is among the best preserved monuments of Karnak after
the Temple of IChons. Moreover, to the north of the Temple of Amun, Rames-
ses III erected a smaller sanctuary near the Third Pylon, and another temple in
the western corner of Mut’s enclosure behind the Sacred Lake. We are also indebted
to him for the present condition of the Temple of Khons. His successors contributed
to its embellishment but did not leave any other major structures at Karnak. An
exception was Ramesses IX who either reconstructed or erected the wall with the
gate which links the Third and the Fourth Pylons.
THE LATE PERIOD
The Priest-Kings of the Twenty-First Dynasty who ruled in Thebes were mainly
interested in leaving their names on the walls of existing buildings. Of considerable
interest is a very characteristic phenomenon — namely, that the conflict between
secular power and the Amun clergy, which developed so conspicuously in the New
Kingdom period and ended in the final victory of the priests, did not produce any
aggrandizement of the already existing monumental edifices of the sacred enclosure
at Karnak. The ruling priests, it seems, did not feel obliged to court the favour
19 of the gods, whereas their secular predecessors had been obliged to win the good-
first courtyard moved in a southern direction from the axis. Two other colossi,
representing the king and his wife Nefertari, were erected on his orders next to
the Ninth Pylon. During Ramesses ’ reign two smaller sanctuaries were also built —
one to Amun, to the east of the Great Temple, and the other to the goddess Mut,
near the temple constructed during the reign of Amenhotep III.
Merenptah, successor to Ramesses II, left cartouches with his name in many places
at Karnak. Among the most important documents of that period are the reliefs
on the eastern wall of the courtyard to the north of the Seventh Pylon, showing
the battles of Merenptah with the Libyans and other Mediterranean nations, namely
the Etruscans and Achaeans.
The last ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Sethos II, not only erected a pylon near
Mut’s temple, but he also built a triple chapel in front of the Great Temple of Amun
at Karnak, dedicated to the Theban triad. The chapel was later incorporated into
the great courtyard. This suggests that Sethos II planned the final extension of
the temple in the direction of the Nile — a possibility also confirmed by his obelisk,
erected on the riverside.
Of all rulers of the Twentieth Dynasty, the greatest efforts towards embellishing
the capital were rendered by Ramesses III. He courted the favours of the priests
of Amun by erecting new sacred edifices, and as we know from the great Harris
papyrus, also donated lavishly from the royal purse to the treasury of the Amun
archpriests. The most important contribution made by Ramesses III is the temple
built on the north-south axis, next to the Second Pylon of the Temple of Amun
at Karnak. Osirian statues of the king were placed on both sides of the courtyard
This sacral construction is among the best preserved monuments of Karnak after
the Temple of IChons. Moreover, to the north of the Temple of Amun, Rames-
ses III erected a smaller sanctuary near the Third Pylon, and another temple in
the western corner of Mut’s enclosure behind the Sacred Lake. We are also indebted
to him for the present condition of the Temple of Khons. His successors contributed
to its embellishment but did not leave any other major structures at Karnak. An
exception was Ramesses IX who either reconstructed or erected the wall with the
gate which links the Third and the Fourth Pylons.
THE LATE PERIOD
The Priest-Kings of the Twenty-First Dynasty who ruled in Thebes were mainly
interested in leaving their names on the walls of existing buildings. Of considerable
interest is a very characteristic phenomenon — namely, that the conflict between
secular power and the Amun clergy, which developed so conspicuously in the New
Kingdom period and ended in the final victory of the priests, did not produce any
aggrandizement of the already existing monumental edifices of the sacred enclosure
at Karnak. The ruling priests, it seems, did not feel obliged to court the favour
19 of the gods, whereas their secular predecessors had been obliged to win the good-