DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4143#0013
DEIR EL BAHARI.
wide and 1 foot 8'5 inches high, the projecting mould-
ing or nosing of which is carried along the western
wall, and forms the threshold to the doorway of the
innermost chamber. It may be noticed that the
dimensions and architectural arrangement of this and
the innermost chamber are very similar to those of
the Chapel of Thothmes I. (see pi. i.).
The Third Chamber or Niche is raised 1 foot
8*5 inches above the outer floor, and measures 6 feet
] 1*5 inches in length by 2 feet 7 inches in width.
The curved ceilings throughout these Chambers
have yellow stars painted on a blue ground ; their
walls also, as well as those of the Hypostyle Hall and
its niches, are all elaborately painted with scenes and
inscriptions, most of which are restorations, the original
bas-reliefs having been erased.1
The Northern Colonnade.
The Northern Colonnade is shown in plan, elevation
and section on pi. xxx. and in perspective on pi. xxxii.
It is built against the steep cliffs on the north side of
the Middle Platform, and consists of a retaining wall
117 feet 3 inches long, pierced with four small chambers,
and a colonnade in front of the wall composed of a
single row of sixteen-sided columns, fifteen in number.
The whole stands on a pavement, which is raised some
1 foot 9 inches above the Middle Platform, and is
12 feet 11*5 inches wide. The architrave, cornice and
parapet line with and form a continuation of those
of the Hypostyle Hall, but the material of the archi-
traves is here a sandstone. This was probably because
the limestone used everywhere else in the temple had
been found brittle and not to be relied upon.
Plate XXXIT. is a perspective view, drawn on the
spot, and gives the general effect of this part of the
temple: on the left a small piece of the architrave to
the Hypostyle Hall is visible, and above the parapet
are seen the retaining walls beyond. The steep cliffs
which occur above are not shown. In the foreground
are pieces of the cornice and parapet found during
the excavations.
The four chambers are raised one step above the
Colonnade level. Their dimensions vary from 5 feet
0*5 inch to 5 feet 2 inches in width, and 10 feet
4"5 inches to 8 feet 7 inches in length. The three
eastern chambers have raised seats across their
northern ends, similar to the seat in the Second
Chamber of the Northern Speos. The ceilings are of
an approximately elliptical form, but neither they nor
the walls show any trace of ever having been painted.
Apparently this Colonnade was the last portion of
the temple undertaken, and it was never completed.
The walls and columns have been covered with a
thin coating of plaster, but there is no sign of any
decoration having been applied.
A displaced ceiling stone was found here, measuring
8 feet by 2 feet 11 inches by 1 foot 8 inches, but it
does not appear that the ceiling was ever formed for
the greater part of the Colonnade.
When this portion of the temple was excavated,
rough mud brick walls were found to have been built
in the Colonnade, forming small apartments about
6 feet high, and it is supposed that in them some
embalmers of the XXIInd Dynasty carried on their
trade. The bricks of these walls measured 14 inches
by 7 inches by 4-5 inches. A quantity of broken
pottery, blue beads, scarabs, &c, were also discovered
here; but these will be described in a subsequent
volume.
PLATES XXXIII-XLII.
HYPOSTYLE HALL OF NORTHERN SPEOS (SHRINE OF ANUBIS).
Plate XXXIIL—East End op South Wall. With
this plate wo enter the Hypostyle Hall which formed
the Vestibule leading to the Shrine of Anubis. This
part of the temple is particularly well preserved. The
colours are very bright. Unfortunately the erasures
1 For the scenes and inscriptions from these walls see pis. xxxiii.-
xlv., and the description of them below.
here are very extensive, and affect the inscriptions as
well as the figure of Hatshepsu. Here and there a
few signs or little bits of text have been restored;
but as they do not always fit in exactly with the old
text a translation is sometimes hardly possible.
The first ceremony performed in a temple or in a
sanctuary was always the introduction of the king by
the gods. They take him by the hand and lead him
wide and 1 foot 8'5 inches high, the projecting mould-
ing or nosing of which is carried along the western
wall, and forms the threshold to the doorway of the
innermost chamber. It may be noticed that the
dimensions and architectural arrangement of this and
the innermost chamber are very similar to those of
the Chapel of Thothmes I. (see pi. i.).
The Third Chamber or Niche is raised 1 foot
8*5 inches above the outer floor, and measures 6 feet
] 1*5 inches in length by 2 feet 7 inches in width.
The curved ceilings throughout these Chambers
have yellow stars painted on a blue ground ; their
walls also, as well as those of the Hypostyle Hall and
its niches, are all elaborately painted with scenes and
inscriptions, most of which are restorations, the original
bas-reliefs having been erased.1
The Northern Colonnade.
The Northern Colonnade is shown in plan, elevation
and section on pi. xxx. and in perspective on pi. xxxii.
It is built against the steep cliffs on the north side of
the Middle Platform, and consists of a retaining wall
117 feet 3 inches long, pierced with four small chambers,
and a colonnade in front of the wall composed of a
single row of sixteen-sided columns, fifteen in number.
The whole stands on a pavement, which is raised some
1 foot 9 inches above the Middle Platform, and is
12 feet 11*5 inches wide. The architrave, cornice and
parapet line with and form a continuation of those
of the Hypostyle Hall, but the material of the archi-
traves is here a sandstone. This was probably because
the limestone used everywhere else in the temple had
been found brittle and not to be relied upon.
Plate XXXIT. is a perspective view, drawn on the
spot, and gives the general effect of this part of the
temple: on the left a small piece of the architrave to
the Hypostyle Hall is visible, and above the parapet
are seen the retaining walls beyond. The steep cliffs
which occur above are not shown. In the foreground
are pieces of the cornice and parapet found during
the excavations.
The four chambers are raised one step above the
Colonnade level. Their dimensions vary from 5 feet
0*5 inch to 5 feet 2 inches in width, and 10 feet
4"5 inches to 8 feet 7 inches in length. The three
eastern chambers have raised seats across their
northern ends, similar to the seat in the Second
Chamber of the Northern Speos. The ceilings are of
an approximately elliptical form, but neither they nor
the walls show any trace of ever having been painted.
Apparently this Colonnade was the last portion of
the temple undertaken, and it was never completed.
The walls and columns have been covered with a
thin coating of plaster, but there is no sign of any
decoration having been applied.
A displaced ceiling stone was found here, measuring
8 feet by 2 feet 11 inches by 1 foot 8 inches, but it
does not appear that the ceiling was ever formed for
the greater part of the Colonnade.
When this portion of the temple was excavated,
rough mud brick walls were found to have been built
in the Colonnade, forming small apartments about
6 feet high, and it is supposed that in them some
embalmers of the XXIInd Dynasty carried on their
trade. The bricks of these walls measured 14 inches
by 7 inches by 4-5 inches. A quantity of broken
pottery, blue beads, scarabs, &c, were also discovered
here; but these will be described in a subsequent
volume.
PLATES XXXIII-XLII.
HYPOSTYLE HALL OF NORTHERN SPEOS (SHRINE OF ANUBIS).
Plate XXXIIL—East End op South Wall. With
this plate wo enter the Hypostyle Hall which formed
the Vestibule leading to the Shrine of Anubis. This
part of the temple is particularly well preserved. The
colours are very bright. Unfortunately the erasures
1 For the scenes and inscriptions from these walls see pis. xxxiii.-
xlv., and the description of them below.
here are very extensive, and affect the inscriptions as
well as the figure of Hatshepsu. Here and there a
few signs or little bits of text have been restored;
but as they do not always fit in exactly with the old
text a translation is sometimes hardly possible.
The first ceremony performed in a temple or in a
sanctuary was always the introduction of the king by
the gods. They take him by the hand and lead him