DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4142#0009
DEIR EL BAIIAttl.
any way, as we can assure ourselves by examining
its northern extremity, where six courses are still
standing. Indeed, painted sculptures are not to be
expected in a hypaethral court.
The southern wall on the side of the Altar Court,
although much of its face on the side of the Inner Court
has been reconstructed by the Copts, has six original
courses standing at the eastern end and seven at the
western. Some rude graffiti, apparently pre-Coptic,
are to be seen here and there, e.g., sketches of a
sacred boat, a cluck, and a royal head. There are no
crosses anywhere in the Altar Court. In the middle
of the southern wall is a niche raised 4 feet 6 inches
above the floor. The sculptures are unfinished, the
scenes being identical with those of the niche on
the western side. It is now roofless, and the frieze
survives only on the south. Its walls are covered
with pre-Coptic graffiti: a woman bearing a lotus-
flower right and left of the entrance, a sacred eye,
a fish, and sketches of heads. All are executed in
red paint. These pre-Coptic red graffiti, found in so
many parts of the temple, are sometimes obviously
the work of practised hands, and may have been the
idle efforts of artists who were engaged on the wall-
decorations, just before work was abandoned in the
temple.
The western wall is one of the most perfect in the
temple, and still bears its cornice and one stone of its
parapet. A succession of continuous vertical joints
at the southern end made us suspect the existence of
a closed-up doorway; but when we had prized out a
stone at the bottom of the wall, we found the ordinary
core within. There is no sculpture on the face; in
the highest course, which probably projected above
the mound in Coptic times, is a little brick restoration,
and one stone bears a red graffito.
In the middle of this wall occurs a niche designed
on the same plan as many others in the temple. Its
floor is 5 feet 2-| inches above the court, and it
measures 5 feet 2-J- inches high, 5 feet 7 inches deep,
and 28-| inches wide. It was once closed by a door,
the hinge and bolt holes of which are still to be
seen. Like the rest of the niches it probably con-
tained a lea statue of the queen, and the sculpture on
its walls had reference to the worship of her ha.1
This western niche bears no graffiti and is quite
complete.
1 For the sculptures in this niche, see pis. v. to vii.
The north Avail was rebuilt almost entirely by
Mr. J. E. Newberry, at the same time as the rough
construction rising at the north-western angle and
designed to hold back the treacherous rock.
The Altar.
For the Altar see pi. viii.
The Chapel of Thothmes I.
In the middle of the north wall of the Altar Court
opens the door of a vaulted chapel, which, although it
penetrates the rock for some distance, is not a true
speos, for its walls are built of masonry. When it
was discovered, the doorway and a part of the south
wall had fallen outwards ; the present wall is com-
posed of the original stones, found and replaced by
Mr. J. E. Newberry. A wooden door has been fitted
into the entrance for the better protection of the
Chapel.
The dimensions of the Chapel are 17 feet 3 inches
long, 5 feet 2 inches wide, and 10 feet 2 inches high.
It is raised a single step of 10-5 inches above the floor
of the Altar Court. At the north end, and opening out
of the western side is a long niche 7 feet 9 inches long,
2 feet 6 inches wide, and 6 feet 11 inches high, the
floor being raised 20 inches above that of the Chapel.
The ceilings of the Chapel and niche, painted blue
with yellow stars, are of an approximately elliptical
form; that of the niche being spanned in two stones,
and that of the Chapel having four courses of
masonry, with level instead of radiating joints as in
an arch. The curve of the ceiling has been carefully
measured and is shown on the plan. The ceiling
stones appear to have been slightly displaced, and
this probably accounts for the two sides being un-
symmetrical.
At the north end of the Chapel is a stone seat
24-5 inches wide and 20 inches high. A projecting
moulding on its edge is carried along the west wall,
and forms the threshold of the doorway to the smaller
chamber. The jambs of this doorway have a slight pro-
jection of 5 inches, which loses itself in the curve of the
ceiling. The pavement was found to have been ripped
up in several places and has been relaid. The stone
seat, which was partly ruined, has also been built up
from the original stones. The ruin of this and of the
pavement was probably effected at the same time
that a hole was bored through the painted scene at
the end of the Chapel, that is to say, after the XXth
any way, as we can assure ourselves by examining
its northern extremity, where six courses are still
standing. Indeed, painted sculptures are not to be
expected in a hypaethral court.
The southern wall on the side of the Altar Court,
although much of its face on the side of the Inner Court
has been reconstructed by the Copts, has six original
courses standing at the eastern end and seven at the
western. Some rude graffiti, apparently pre-Coptic,
are to be seen here and there, e.g., sketches of a
sacred boat, a cluck, and a royal head. There are no
crosses anywhere in the Altar Court. In the middle
of the southern wall is a niche raised 4 feet 6 inches
above the floor. The sculptures are unfinished, the
scenes being identical with those of the niche on
the western side. It is now roofless, and the frieze
survives only on the south. Its walls are covered
with pre-Coptic graffiti: a woman bearing a lotus-
flower right and left of the entrance, a sacred eye,
a fish, and sketches of heads. All are executed in
red paint. These pre-Coptic red graffiti, found in so
many parts of the temple, are sometimes obviously
the work of practised hands, and may have been the
idle efforts of artists who were engaged on the wall-
decorations, just before work was abandoned in the
temple.
The western wall is one of the most perfect in the
temple, and still bears its cornice and one stone of its
parapet. A succession of continuous vertical joints
at the southern end made us suspect the existence of
a closed-up doorway; but when we had prized out a
stone at the bottom of the wall, we found the ordinary
core within. There is no sculpture on the face; in
the highest course, which probably projected above
the mound in Coptic times, is a little brick restoration,
and one stone bears a red graffito.
In the middle of this wall occurs a niche designed
on the same plan as many others in the temple. Its
floor is 5 feet 2-| inches above the court, and it
measures 5 feet 2-J- inches high, 5 feet 7 inches deep,
and 28-| inches wide. It was once closed by a door,
the hinge and bolt holes of which are still to be
seen. Like the rest of the niches it probably con-
tained a lea statue of the queen, and the sculpture on
its walls had reference to the worship of her ha.1
This western niche bears no graffiti and is quite
complete.
1 For the sculptures in this niche, see pis. v. to vii.
The north Avail was rebuilt almost entirely by
Mr. J. E. Newberry, at the same time as the rough
construction rising at the north-western angle and
designed to hold back the treacherous rock.
The Altar.
For the Altar see pi. viii.
The Chapel of Thothmes I.
In the middle of the north wall of the Altar Court
opens the door of a vaulted chapel, which, although it
penetrates the rock for some distance, is not a true
speos, for its walls are built of masonry. When it
was discovered, the doorway and a part of the south
wall had fallen outwards ; the present wall is com-
posed of the original stones, found and replaced by
Mr. J. E. Newberry. A wooden door has been fitted
into the entrance for the better protection of the
Chapel.
The dimensions of the Chapel are 17 feet 3 inches
long, 5 feet 2 inches wide, and 10 feet 2 inches high.
It is raised a single step of 10-5 inches above the floor
of the Altar Court. At the north end, and opening out
of the western side is a long niche 7 feet 9 inches long,
2 feet 6 inches wide, and 6 feet 11 inches high, the
floor being raised 20 inches above that of the Chapel.
The ceilings of the Chapel and niche, painted blue
with yellow stars, are of an approximately elliptical
form; that of the niche being spanned in two stones,
and that of the Chapel having four courses of
masonry, with level instead of radiating joints as in
an arch. The curve of the ceiling has been carefully
measured and is shown on the plan. The ceiling
stones appear to have been slightly displaced, and
this probably accounts for the two sides being un-
symmetrical.
At the north end of the Chapel is a stone seat
24-5 inches wide and 20 inches high. A projecting
moulding on its edge is carried along the west wall,
and forms the threshold of the doorway to the smaller
chamber. The jambs of this doorway have a slight pro-
jection of 5 inches, which loses itself in the curve of the
ceiling. The pavement was found to have been ripped
up in several places and has been relaid. The stone
seat, which was partly ruined, has also been built up
from the original stones. The ruin of this and of the
pavement was probably effected at the same time
that a hole was bored through the painted scene at
the end of the Chapel, that is to say, after the XXth