Tombs and Temples

Second Edition

MANAL B. HAMMAD
TOMBS & TEMPLES

••••Table of Contents

El Menya Tombs 5

A) Beni Hassan 6
1) Tomb of Bakhet 7
2) Tomb of Kheti 9
3) Tomb of Ameni 13
4) Tomb of Khnumhotep 17

B) Tell El Amarna 23
1) Tomb of Huya 24
2) Tomb of Mry-Ra 30
3) Tomb of Penthu 35
4) The Royal Tomb 38

C) El Ashmounien 42

D) Tuna El Gabel 43
1) Tomb of Isadora 43
2) Tomb of Petosiris 45

Temples 50

The Temple and the Religious Meaning of its Components 50

Cave of Artemis 52

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

Temples of Abu Simbel 54

1) The Great Temple of Abu Simbel 55
2) The Small Temple of Abu Simbel 57
Abydos 60
• History 60
• Necropolis 60
• Temple of Seti I 64

Plates 73
Bibliography 120

4
 El Menya
El Menya is the present name of the district situated 240 km to the
South of Cairo on the West bank of the Nile. The word El Menya is origi-
nally derived from the Ancient Egyptian word Mnct Khufu or the Nurse
of Khufu, as it was believed that King Khufu , of the fourth Dynasty, was
brought up there.

In Ancient times, El Menya district was divided into 3 or sometimes 5

Nomes, and these change according to the different periods of history as
the Nomes of Egypt varied from 38 to 44 Nomes.

These Nomes were 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and the 19th Nomes. The
most important of these were the 15th, 16th, 17th.

The Hare Nome ( ): this Nome carries the number 15,

its capital was called later Shmn, which was altered until it became el
Ashmonien nowadays

The Antelope (Oryx) Nome ( ): it carries the number 16 Hebenu

was it capital was its Arabic name is EL Kom El Ahmar

The Jackal Nome ( ) : it carries the number 17. It is situated to the

North of the Antelope Nome in El Quis

The necropolis of Al Menya extends from Sharona in the North to Itli-

dem in the South. It was used during different periods of history. It con-
tains tombs belonging to the second and third Dynasty, situated on the far
Northern side, and tombs of the 5th and 6th Dynasty situated on the far
Southern side, and these two groups are the oldest tombs in the necropo-
lis. Between these 2 groups lie the tombs of Beni Hassan, which date back
to the middle kingdom, and which extends a quarter of a mile. The ne-
cropolis also contains tombs that date back to the reign of king Akhenaton
and are located in tell El Amarna, and also contains Greco-Roman tombs
that are mainly located at Tuna El Gebal

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

Therefore the most important Archaeological Sites in El Menya are

tombs of Bani Hassan, tombs of Tell El Amarna, El Ashmonien, and ne-
cropolis of Tuna El Gebal.

A) Beni Hassan
Beni Hassan is a small village situated 21 km to the South of El Menya,
it is opposite to the village of Abu Qerqas on the East bank of the Nile. The
name of the village is derived from the name of the Beni Hassan Arabs who
settled there during the 18th century. The village of Beni Hassan is well
known for its important rock cut tombs which were carved into the high
limestone cliffs of the East bank of the Nile. The location of the cemetery
on the East of the Nile is somewhat unusual as the West being the domain
of Osiris was the place usually chosen for burial. However, the tombs of
Beni Hassan were built in the East for two reasons
a) Because it was nearer to the Nile river
b) Because of the better quality of limestone on the Eastern side
of the cliff.

The tombs date mostly to the 11th and 12th Dynasties. They mainly be-
long to the ruler of the 16th Nome of Upper Egypt. The tombs are reached
via a long steep flight of steps up the hillside, from where there is a magnifi-
cent view of the Nile valley. The total number of tombs on the upper part of
the cliff is 39, only twelve of which are decorated and only 4 are currently
opened to visitors. These tombs offer rare chance to see distinctive funer-
ary artistic style of the early Middle kingdom with the colo rfully painted
daily life scenes. There is a causeway or a ramp leading up from the valley
to each of the 39 tombs. Near the upper side of each ramp on either side
there are burial shafts that end in burial pits for the high officials and the
servants that worked for the Nome rulers. The total number of these pits is
900. The rock cut tombs of Beni Hassan fall into 3 categories:
a) The first and most numerous are those of the 11th Dynasty
with un columned single rooms and a false door on the inner
wall.

6
 b) The second also dates back to the 11th Dynasty and consist of
single rooms with lotus columns and a false door on the inner
wall.
c) The third dates to the 12th Dynasty, and these tombs consists
of a porch that leads to a main chapel that in turn leads to the
shrine.

The four tombs of Beni Hassan, which are opened to the visi-
tors, are:
Tomb of Bakhet, BH 15

Tomb of Kheti, BH 17

Tomb of Amenemhat ( Ameni), BH 2

Tomb of Khnumhotep, BH 3

1) Tomb of Bakhet III (BH15 )

Introduction
Tomb number 15 is considered the earliest tomb open at the site of
Beni Hassan. It dates back to the 11th Dynasty and it belongs to Bakhet III ,
the governor of the Oryx Nome during the later years of the 11th Dynasty,
thus it dates back to the 2nd category.

Interior Design
The tomb is entered through a wide entrance placed in the middle of a
plain façade. It consists of a squared chapel with two lotus columns sepa-
rating the front part of the chapel from the rear. It also contains a shrine.

The tomb has a slightly vaulted roof and it contains 7 burial shafts for
Bakhet and other members of his family.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

Decoration
Main Chapel
The Western wall
(1) The Northern side:
It shows scenes of hunting in the marches of the delta, water fowling
using clap nets and gathering papyrus, which was used for several
purposes either for making paper or as food for poor children.

(2) The Southern side:

It shows scenes of cattle herds, goats and granaries. Another register
shows carpenters making ships.

The Northern wall

It depicts Bakhet at a large scale, hunting in the desert with many types
of animals. Also, Bakhet and his wife are represented while watching weav-
ers making linen clothes as well as girls either playing acrobats or playing
with a ball.

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 The North East corner of this wall shows Bakhet and his daughter( nfrt
Hpwt Ht Hr) on a large scale which indicates that his wife died during his
lifetime and has been replaced by his daughter in running the house af-
fairs.

The Eastern wall

Shows battle scenes along with 220 groups of wrestlers, each group
consists of 2 wrestlers, one painted in light red, while the other in dark
to distinguish between them. The lower register depicts an attack on a
fortress.

The Southern wall

It shows traditional funerary scenes which shows Bakhet in a large scale,
supervising his statue being dragged on a sledge to the tomb accompanied
by offering bringers.

It also shows craftsmen at work, vintage scenes and recreational scenes

of sports and playing the senet game.

The Shrine
It is small ‘L’ shaped shrine positioned in the Eastern of the South wall.
It once contained the statue of Bakhet which is now in ruins.

The walls of the shrine are decorated by scenes of Bakhet sitting in front
of an offering table piled with different types of offerings.

2) Tomb of Kheti (BH17)

Introduction
Tomb number 17, belongs to Kheti who was the son of Bakhet III.
Just like his father Kheti was the governor of the Oryx Nome. He also
gained the title of the Great General of the Army. His tomb dates back to
the 11th Dynasty.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

Interior Design
The tomb of Kheti falls into the 2nd category among the tombs of Beni
Hassan.

Its façade is cut into the side of the cliff. It leads to the tomb through a
wide plain doorway.

The doorway leads to a large rectangular hall with a slightly vaulted

roof.

The hall once contained six lotus bud columns, arranged in two rows.
Only two of these are still intact.

The hall contains two burial shafts, both are situated in the Southern
side.

Decoration
The standard of drawing in this tomb is rather poor, but the scenes are
in a good condition.

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 All the walls of the hall are decorated by daily life scenes as well as by
funerary ones.

The topmost wall all around the chapel is decorated by a horizontal

frieze of Khekeru.

The Western wall

1) Northern side:
The paintings on this wall are unfinished and are in a bad condition.

The left hand side is divided to three registers. The upper one shows
Kheti harpooning fish, the middle shows a man holding a club, the lower
shows a seated figure of Kheti with his face turned towards the door.

The right hand side shows eight registers depicting water activities that
include boating, fishing and water fowling in the papyrus marshes. The
scene also shows some animals like the hippo.

2) Southern side:
The scenes on this wall are also in a bad condition. They are divided
into eight registers:

The first three show the procession of the cattle in the desert led by
herdsmen.

The fourth and fifth are scenes for pilgrims’ ships sailing to Abydos. Sixth
seventh and eighth show a representation of a false door and in front of it
are three registers of offering bearers.

The Northern wall

Scenes are arranged into 2 parts:

1) The Western half:

It is divided into six registers;
The upper register shows hunting in the desert. It shows Kheti in a
standing position facing right and drawing a bow. A number of animals are
represented in front of him e.g. jackals, antelopes and lions.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

On the 2nd and 3rd registers there are scenes representing the barber
shaving, spinning, weaving, female dancers and women playing with a
ball.

4th register shows the procession of Kheti ‘s statue to the temple. The
scene shows a shrine with 2 doors that contains the statue of Kheti and
his wife. In front of the shrine, a priest is shown reciting rituals. Also there
is a group of ten men holding funerary outfits that includes clothing and
weapons.

The 5th register depicts scenes of carpentry and statue manufacturing.

6th register shows fowling birds using clap nets and fishing using fishing
rods.

2) The Eastern half :

It represents a large figure of Kheti standing and holding a staff in his
right hand, and a hrp scepter in his left. There are 3 dogs in front of him.
There is a representation of his wife behind him at a smaller scale holding
a lotus flower. Above her there are 2 male and 2 female musicians.

The Eastern end of the wall is divided into 7 registers which shows men
carrying baskets, metal workers and herdsmen.

The Eastern wall

This wall is covered by wrestling scenes. They are arranged in 5 registers
representing 122 groups of wrestlers showing many different attitudes.

On the 6th and 7th registers there are battle scenes showing soldiers at-
tacking a fortress.

The Southern wall

The scenes on this wall are divided to 2 parts:

1) The Eastern half

The upper part shows vintage scenes of grape gathering and also a tree
with birds and bird traps.

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 To the left of this scene there are representations of games, showing
a man being carried by 2 men, 2 men facing each other in a kneeling at-
titude, and 2 men sitting back to back. The scenes of games are continued
in one vertical column that separates 2 figures of Kheti. The 2 large figures
of Kheti are back to back. In the first representation, Kheti is standing wear-
ing a panther skin and his wife stands behind him. Above her, there are 2
female musicians and a woman nursing a boy .
The second figure of Kheti is also representing him in a standing attitude
but wearing a starched short kilt, holding a staff in his left hand, and a hrp
scepter in his right.

2) The Western half

Scenes are divided to 5 registers.
The first shows a procession of the statue of kheti in a naos, in front of
which there are 3 men clapping hands and a group of male and female
dancers dancing in front of him.
2nd register, herdsmen leading and driving cattle.
The 3rd to the 5th register, show two main scenes ; the first is a large
scene of Kheti seated in front of heaped offering table. And in front of him
are offering bearers. The second scene shows agricultural scenes depicting
ploughing, harvesting, thrashing and finally transportation of grains to store
rooms.

3) Tomb of Ameni ( BH2)

Introduction
Tomb number 2 is considered to be one of the finest tombs at Beni
Hassan. The tomb is located at the upper cemetery and it is cut in the face
of the cliff. It dates back to the 12th Dynasty and thus it belongs to the 3rd
category among the tombs of Beni Hassan.
The Owner of the Tomb
The owner of this tomb is called Amenemhat or Ameni.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

He was the son of KhnumhotepI and Henu and was the husband of
Hetepet and father of Khnumhotep.

He lived during the reign of King Senusert I.

His titles were:

The Governor of the Oryx Nome.

Chief in Command after SenusertI

The Interior Plan

The Tomb is divided into:

A portico

Main Chapel

Shrine

The Portico (PORCH)

It measures about 23 feet in height. Its roof is supported by two octago-
nal fluted columns. The portico was never finished. It leads to the main
Chapel of the tomb through a rectangular door.

The Main Chapel

It is rectangular in shape. It measures 38 feet in length and 21 feet in
height.

It contains four 16 sided fluted columns painted red to imitate pink

granite. These columns support the three aisled vaulted roof.

The roof is decorated by chess like patterns. The roof of the side aisles is
painted blue and white , while the middle aisle is painted red and white.

The walls of this chapel are decorated with colorful scenes. The rear
wall of this hall gives accesses to a rectangular shrine.

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 The Shrine
It lies in the center of the rear wall of the main chapel. It contains a
seated statue of Ameni but it is badly damaged. His statue is about 2.5
times the normal size and is flanked by two other statues; one belongs to
his mother Henu and the other belongs to his wife Hetepet.

DECORATION
The top most wall of the Main chapel is decorated by the Khekeru
motifs.

1, 2 (door posts and lentil) are decorated by the Names and titles of
Ameni as well as an offering formula for the deceased addressed to Anubis
and Osiris

3,4 (The walls of the doorway)

It is inscribed by the autobiography of Ameni. It includes his achieve-
ments as a governor, his military expeditions to Kush and his burial date

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

which is on the 15th day of the 2nd month of inundation season in the
43rd regnal year of Senusert I.

5 (The North Western wall),

It is divided into registers; the upper registers show local craftsmen per-
forming different tasks.

The scenes represent sandal makers, carpenters, gold and silversmiths,

making metal works, and potterers making pottery.

The lower register shown agricultural scenes showing peasants plough-

ing, harvesting and threshing the fields.

6,7 (the Northern wall)

The wall is divided into registers:

The first shows scenes of hunting in the desert

These show Ameni standing and holding a bow and arrow, and a num-
ber of desert animals are represented around him

The second register shows the ceremonial procession of the transporta-

tion of the owner’s statue to the shrine.

The scene shows priests, soldiers and offering bearers all making offer-
ings before the statue

The third register shows Ameni given tribute from his high officials in
the form of cattle

8 (the North Eastern wall)

The first register shows a group of wrestlers in different wrestling atti-
tudes as well as military exercises.

The second row shows a battle scene that represents warriors destroy-
ing a fortress. The third row shows a boat voyage of the anthropoid coffin
of Ameni which is represented sailing upstream in a papyrus boat directed
towards the sanctuary of Osiris at Abydos

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 11 (The South Easter wall)
It shows a continuation of the boat voyage of the deceased to Abydos.
The scene further shows the boats of his wives.

12,13 (the Southern wall)

sated before an offering table heaped with offerings. He is receiving of-

ferings from his priests and servants. The lower row shows slaughtering if

of the wall marked as (13) shows the same scene with Ameni replaced by
his wife Hetepet.
Two burial shafts are shown underneath this wall one for Ameni and
the other for his wife.
14 (South Western Wall).
It is divided into registers. The upper one shows vineyards and the
process of making wine. It also shows scenes

In the middle of the wall there is a representation of a false door.

4) Tomb of KhnumhotepII (BH 3)

Introduction
This tomb is located at the upper part of the cemetery, cut at the face
of the cliff overlooking the Nile.

It dates back to the reign of Amenemhat II, the third king of the 12th
Dynasty.

This tomb is famous for its Asiatic scene which proves the existence of
mutual trade between the Egyptians and the Asiatic.
The tomb was used as a dwelling place not only due to the removal of
the columns but also because it contains grooves made by the dwellers
probably.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES
for lighting purposes.
The Owner of the Tomb
Khnumhotep II was the successor of Ameni, the owner of tomb no.2, so
he was also the Governor of the Oryx Nome.
Among his other titles were;
The Overseer of the Eastern dessert
The Overseer of Priests
The Prince of Mnct Khufu
He was the son of Neheri and Bakhet, the husband of Kheti and the
father of ten children.
The Interior Plan
The Tomb consists of:
Portico
Main Chapel (with four burial shafts)
Shrine

The Portico
It consists of a small rectangular hall whose vaulted roof is supported by

The portico showed no scenes.

Its back wall contains a rectangular doorway which gives access to the
Main chapel. This doorway has been polished and painted to imitate pink
granite.
Main Chapel
It is an almost squared hall that measures 9.7 *9.6 meters. It is reached
by three steps because its ground level is lower than the portico.
The chapel and its vaulted roof are divided into three aisles by four
sixteen sided columns arranged in two rows. These columns have disap-
peared nowadays so they were only made for decorative purposes.
The roof is decorated by chess like patterns.

18
 The Shrine
The rear wall of the Main hall gives access to the shrine through a door-
way that has been polished and painted to imitate pink granite.

It is a rectangular room that measures about 2.5 * 3m. Its floor is on the
same level as the main chapel but its roof is lower.

The walls of the shrine were decorated and it contains the statue of the
deceased which is nowadays in ruins flanked by a statue of his mother and
wife (now missing)

The Decoration
The main chapel is decorated by daily life and funerary scenes that still
retain their vivid colors.

The upper register, all around the main chapel is decorated by the
Khekeru motifs.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

Under the scenes, running all around the walls of the main chapel, are
222 vertical lines of inscriptions giving the Autobiography of Khnumho-
tep.

1,2 door posts and lentil ( from outside):

Each of the two posts are decorated by a representation of Khnum-
hotep, seated and facing inwards as well as by the offering formulae ad-
dressed to Osiris and Anubis.

As for the lentil: it is inscribed by his names and titles and by a list of
festival days on which offerings should be made to Khnumhotep.

As for the lentil from the interior of the tomb, it is decorated by a scene
showing the transportation of the statue of Khnoumhotep to the temple.

The Western wall

It is divided into two halves by the doorway and they are represented
by numbers 3 and 11.

Wall 3
It is divided into 6 registers:

1, Storing grains in a pillared hall

2 and 3, agricultural scene as the peasants are shown ploughing the

land by means of cattale.

4th shows the Voyage of the anthropoid coffin of Khnumhotep to the

temple of Osiris at Abydos. The scene shows two ships sailing to Abydos.

5th shows the gathering of grapes and figs.

6th cattle swimming across a waterway and a group of fishermen fishing

with spears.

Wall 11
It is a continuation of the scenes on wall 3, it is also divided into regis-
ters:,

20
 1, shows carpenters making funerary equipment for Khnumhotep.

2, It shows a scene of workers building an unfinished boat.

3, shows the return of the ships from the Voyage of Abydos. The scene
depicts two boats one carrying the sons of the deceased while the other
contains his requirements.

The last scene shows potters making pottery.

It should be noted that this wall contains grooves that have been made
by the tomb dwellers to lighten up the tomb and this had side effects on
the scenes on this wall as some of the registers have faded away.

The Northern wall

Wall 4, shows a scene of hunting in the dessert.
It represents Khnumhotep at a large scale holding the bow and arrow
together with four representations of his sons. The artist represented differ-
ent dessert animals around them like Antelopes and Hares.

Wall 5, it shows the famous Asiatic scene. It represents Khnumhotep at

a large scale receiving offerings from his officials as well as from a group of
Asiatics who arrived to Egypt for trading purposes. They are represented
wearing colourful non Egyptian clothes, offering Khol to Khnumhotep. The
scene also show their women, children and their animals.

The inscriptions mention that they were 37 and that they came during
the 6th regnal year of King Senusert I.

The Eastern wall

It is divided into two parts by the doorway of the shrine.

Wall 6, shows a scene of Khnumhotep (at a large scale) standing in a

canoe facing right and holding a throw stick in one hand and a number
of ducks in the other. His wife is shown (at a smaller scale) seated on the
canoe which is in the marshes of the delta.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

Wall 7, It is located on the upper lentil of the door way to the shrine.
It represents Khnoumhotep fowling with clap –nets. He is represented at a
large scale seated in front of a pool filled with water birds and plants.

Wall 8, shows almost the same scene but Khnumhotep is facing left and
is holding a spear in his hands, at the end of which there are representa-
tions of fish, as he is represented harpooning fish in the marshes of the
delta.

The Southern wall

Walls 9 and 10 show almost the same offering scene of once khnumho-
tep and once kheti seated in front of a heaped offering table and receiving
offerings from their officials and servants.

The Shrine
Wall 12, show three female figures standing before an offering table.
The middle one is destroyed but the other two represent his mother and
wife.

Wall 13, shows the sons of Khnumhotep making offerings.

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B. Tell el Amarna
The city of Tell El Amarna was built by Akhenaton on the East bank
of the Nile river. It is located nowadays 12 KM SouthEast of Mallawi, |El
Menya Governorate. His city Akhet itn extended some 12km from North
South. Its boundaries were marked by means of boundary stelae erected
by the king. Akhenaton built this city to become the new capital of Egypt
during his 6th regnal year. He made an oath never to leave this new capital
which was swiftly built out of mud bricks

City Division
1) Northern town
It contains administrative and official buildings.

2) Northern Suburb
It contains residential houses and merchants quarter.

3) Central city
It contains palaces of the royal family and temples of the god Aton and
Priests quarter

4)Southern suburb
It contains huge gardens and pools made for the god Aton.

5) The Southern city

It contains villas for important high officials and members of the court
of Akhenaton.

6) The Necropolis

It contains the royal tomb and a number of private rock cut tombs that
occupy the Northern and Southern sides of the necropolis. The private

23
TOMBS & TEMPLES

tombs were rock cut tombs that were gifts given by the king to his loyal fol-
lowers. They are numbered from 1 to 25 and can be divided into 2 groups
by means of the Royal Wadi that contains the royal tomb of Akhenaton.

The Northern tomb: numbered from 1 – 6 and located on the Northern

side of the Necropolis

The Southern tombs numbered from 7 – 25 and located on the South-

ern side of the necropolis

Many of these tombs are unfinished because of the sudden death of

Akhenaton and the return of the capital to Thebes

The general plan of these tombs is an outer court which leads to the
chapel, which in turn leads to the transverse hall and to the shrine. His type
of plan is known as the cruciform plan. As for the decoration, all the walls
are decorated by colourful scenes representing King Akhenaton and the
royal family; these scenes are all following the Amarna rules of art.

The most important of these tombs are

Tomb of Huya, no.1

Tomb of Ahmose, no.3

Tomb of Mry Ra, no. 4

Tomb of Penthu, no. 5

1. Tomb of Huya
Number 1 at tell el Amarna
The owner
Huya is one of the high officials who lived during the reign of King
Akhenaton. Among his important titles are:

The Overseer of the Royal hareem.

24
 The Steward of Queen Tiye.
His tomb lies at the Northern most side of the el Amarna Cemetery.
It was built during the12th and 13th regnal years of Akhenaton. The
importance of this tomb lies in the fact that it contains scenes telling us
about important events that took place during the reign of King Akhenaton

The tomb plan

The tomb consists of an entrance hall leading to the -
umns which in turn leads to the transverse hall via a short passage. The
transverse hall contains a burial shaft. Then it leads to the shrine.
Thus the plan takes the Cruciform shape.
First Hall of Columns
-
tals, one of which are missing nowadays. The columns divided the hall into
three aisles, two side ones and a central passage running in the middle.
-
nally covered with red pilaster.
As for the ceiling it is decorated by colorful bands all around. As for the
ceiling of the central passage it is decorated by hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The walls of this hall are decorated with colorful scenes, many of which
still retain their original colors.

The Transverse Hall

This hall is undecorated and it contains no columns. The Eastern side
of the hall contains the burial shaft where Huya has been buried which is
33.6 deep. The back wall of the transverse hall leads to the shrine.

The shrine
The shrine contains a seated statue of Huya placed against the back
wall. The shrine walls are decorated with scenes.

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TOMBS & TEMPLES

The Decoration
1,2, side walls of the entrance passage.
Each side contains a scene representing Huya while raising both hands
in adoration to Aton. He is wearing a hair wig surmounted by a cone of
fat and a pleated transparent garment. Next to Huya there are columns of
inscriptions giving prayers to Aton.

The Southern wall of the Main hall

Wall 3 (on the right side)
It represents the Royal Banquet.

King Akhenaton and Queen Nefertity, dipected with all signs of royal-
ity, are shown seated on one side in front of Queen Tiye who is identified
by the two feathers above her head and they are all dining under the rays
of God Aton. Each has a dining table near him heaped with different types
of food. King Akhenaton is shown eating a piece of meat while Nefertity
is represented eating a goose. Right under Nefertity, on a small scale, are

26
her two eldest daughters seated and dining with the Royal family. On the
other side of the scene queen Tiye is represented while passing food to
her daughter Beketaton who is represented next to her mother on a small
scale. Huya is represented on a very small scale at the bottom of the scene
serving the Royal family.

The lower register represents performing differ-

ent tasks.

Wall 8 (on the left side)

The scene on this wall represents Evening Entertainment.

This scene is similar to scene 3 but this time the royal couple and their
daughters are all seated with queen Tiye and her daughter Baketaton
drinking wine and served by Huya. Each one of them is holding a glass of
wine.

The lower register represents a group of Musicians, playing music to

entertain the Royal family.

The Eastern wall

Wall 4, it contains a scene representing the Visit of Queen Tiye to the

Great Temple of Aton.

Akhenaton and Tiye stand in the centre, hand in hand beneath the

son in the new religion, not only by holding his hand but also by praying
to Aton in his temple. Behind them princess Baketaton, represented in a
smaller scale. The rest of the scene is divided into registers .The ones be-
hind the Royal couple represents a group of servants, soldiers and horse
riders all moving in a march behind the King and his mother . Huya is one

temple of Aton.

The lower register represents activities.

27
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The Western wall

Wall 7, contains the scene of the Foreign Tribute.
This tribute took place when Akhenaton was announced sole ruler of
Egypt after the death of Amenhotep III. The tomb of Huya is the only tomb
at Akhetaton that shows this scene. Rulers from Nubia till Syria came to
Egypt carrying gifts for the new King and hoping to gain his blessings. They
all await the arrival of the King in a huge pavilion made especially for this
occasion.

The scene shows the King and the Queen being carried on a palan-
quin whose sides are decorated by loin heads and surrounded by fan
bearers. Behind the palanquin walk the princesses (Meritaton, Meketaton
and Ankhsenpa-aton) and their nurses. The scene also shows a represen-
tation of the royal palace.

Below the palanquin in registers, walk lines of attendants with Huya in

the middle, identified by the inscriptions. More warriors go in front of the
Royal Family, towards the reception pavilion where foreign representa-
tives await them with the gifts. The artist cleverly emphasized the different
nationalities by showing their different facial features.

The Northern wall

It is divided into two parts by the doorway to the transverse hall: Wall
5 and 6

Wall 5, it also shows the Window of Appearances

The Royal couple are represented in the balcony of the royal palace
greeting their people who are standing in the palace garden .They are
shown with all signs of royalty. Also the royal daughters are represented in
a small scale near their parents.

Huya is represented on a larger scale ,when compared to the other at-

tendants, in front of the balcony and he is receiving gifts from the King, as
he is shown wearing a golden collar around his neck, given to him by the
King as a reward for his loyalty.

28
 In the top right-hand corner a miniature scene of a sculptorÕ s studio.
The chief sculptor named Iuti, is shown at work on a statue of princess
Baketaton.

Wall 6, represents the Window of Apperances

King and the Queen are again standing in the window of the palace
balcony and greeting the people standing in the palace garden. Huya is
standing under the window and he is being granted a new title by the king
as the Ò One Responsible for the Treasury.Ó

The jambs of the doorway leading to the transverse hall is decorated

Huya raising his hands in adoration similar to the walls 1,2.

The lentil above the door is decorated by a scene divided into two
halves, left showing Akhenaton and Nefertity while the right showing
Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye. \Both Kings are surrounded by their car-
touches and are referred to as the king of upper and lower Egypt. This scene
allowed many scholars to support the idea that Akhenaton co regined with
his father King Amenhotep III.
The Shrine
The Eastern wall of the shrine, wall 9
It represents . In front of
him is a heaped offering table.
The wall on the right of the statue no 10, shows different funerary
equipment of Huya.

The middle wall of the shrine

It contains two scenes , one to the left of the statue, wall 11, which
shows the canopic jars and coffers of the deceased.

The West wall of the shrine, 12.

It represents the funeral ceremony of the deceased directed towards

his tomb. It is divided into registers representing mourners and servants
carrying the funerary equipment to be placed inside the tombs of the de-
ceased.

29
TOMBS & TEMPLES

2.Tomb of Mryra
Number 4 at tell el Amarna
Introduction
It is one of the largest tomb chapels at Tell El Amarna though unfin-
ished. The tomb dates back to the eleventh regnal year of King Akhenaton.
Its interior design is different as it doesn’t take the cruciform shape.

The Owner of the tomb

Meryra was a very important person during the reign of King Akhenaton.
He had many titles among these were:

High priest in the temple of Aton,

Fan bearer on the right of the king,

Chancellor of the king of lower Egypt.

Plan of The Tomb

The tomb is different from the usual cruciform plan of the private rock
cut tombs of el Amarna.

It consists of a badly damaged

façade in the middle of which is
an entrance which leads to a small
antechamber leading to the main
chapel which once contained 4 pa-
pyrus bud columns, only 2 remain
nowadays.

This chapel leads to the second

hall which is bigger in size than the
Main chapel. It was supposed to
contain 4 pillars but it was never
finished and finally it leads to the
shrine, which is also unfinished.

30
 Decoration
The tomb is decorated by colorful scenes that are rather dark nowa-
days, as the ancient Egyptians used natural minerals in making their colors
and so they are full of iron oxide which turns darker when it is exposed to
sun and air. The scenes are found in both the Antechamber and the Main
chapel.

Entrance
The entrance to this tomb lies in the middle of its badly damaged fa-
cade and it leads to the antechamber.

The entrance door is decorated by a cavetto cornice on its top. The

interior walls of the entrance (1) shows two figures of the Owner Mry Ra
worshipping Aton, both facing inwards. He is represented in his official
costume with a shaven head and he is raising his hands in adoration to
Aton. Surrounding the figures of Mry Ra on either side there are vertical
lines of Hieroglyphic inscriptions giving prayers to Aton.

The entrance passage (2, 3) leading to the antechamber is decorated

by hymns to Aton, showing also Mry ra , on either side, worshiping the sun
rise and the sun set. Thus one figure is facing right while the other is facing
left.

The Antechamber
Passing through the entrance passage, one reaches the antechamber.

It is a small squared hall whose ceiling is slightly vaulted and has a

cavetto cornice and a colorful band running all around.

The Eastern (4) and Western (5) walls of the antechamber are vey simi-
lar, they are decorated by a cavetto cornice on top and in the middle
of each wall there is an empty rectangular frame surrounded from the
right hand side by names of Rahorakhety inscribed inside cartouches and
placed under the rays of the Aton, and from the left hand side by a colorful
large flower bouquet.

31
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The Northern back wall of the antechamber contains a doorway that

leads to the Main chapel.

This door is decorated by a cavetto cornice. Its jambs (6, 7) are deco-
rated with columns of inscriptions giving prayers to Aton. Its lentil (8) is
decorated by two kneeling figures of Mry Ra flanking a canopy containing
two erased cartouches.

The floor of the antechamber contains a long groove made especially

for scarifying purposes so as to contain the blood of the sacrificial animal
after being slaughtered.

The entrance passage (9) of this chapel is decorated with scenes rep-
resenting Meryra and his wife Tenro both standing and raising their hands
in adoration to Aton. Surrounding them are columns of inscriptions giving
prayers to Aton. Mry Ra is represented in his official costume and with a
shaven head. As for Tenero, she is wearing a tripartite hair wig surmounted
by a cone of fat and she is wearing a transparent garment.

The jambs of the doorway leading to the Main Chapel are decorated
by three columns of inscriptions giving the names of Rahorakhety as well
as the names and titles of the Royal Couple.

As for the lentil it is decorated by two kneeling figures of Mry ra as well

as prayers to god Aton.

The Main Chapel

It is a large hall that once contained 4 columns; however the Christians
removed 2 columns when they used this part of the tomb as a dwelling
place.

The remaining columns have papyrus bud capitals. The bases of these
columns are inscribed by the names and titles of Mry ra.

On the South Western wall (10) is a scene of the Window of Appear-

ances representing the King and the Queen, under the rays of the Aton,
appearing from the palace balcony to salute their followers that have been

32
waiting for them in the palace garden. Mry ra is represented in front of the
balcony receiving gold which the king throws down to him.

On the South Eastern wall (11) are scenes representing Akhenaton,

Nefertiti and 2 of their daughters making offerings to Aton, while Mry ra
and other priests attend the ceremony. Below are royal retinue, priests
and a group of blind singers.

On the Western wall, (13 ,12) shows the Royal family going to the
temple.

The king is shown driving his chariot from his palace to the temple of
Aton, under the rays of Aton. The royal horses are decorated by feathers
above their heads. The King is followed by Queen Nefertiti in her chariot
and also by four of his daughters.

The rest of the scene is divided into registers showing armed guards
walking in front of the King and following him are some soldiers upon their
horses.

The Northern wall is divided into two parts by means of the doorway
to the Second Chapel

The North Western wall (14) is a continuation of this scene as it shows

some priests and musicians a waiting for the royal family at the entrance
of the temple.

The North Eastern wall (15) is a continuation of this scene, as it shows

the interior of the temple.

The Eastern wall ( 17 ,16) is divided in two registers:

The top register (16), shows The Royal familyÕ s actual visit to the
temple. It shows the King and the Queen and 4 of their daughters are
represented standing under the rays of Aton in the outer court of the

front of them is a heaped offering table. Mry ra is shown under the table
assisting them.

33
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Outside the temple the royal retinue is waiting for them to finish taking
them to the palace. Among these are foreigners, like Asiatics, Libyans and
Nubians.

The bottom register: (17), shows The King and Queen presenting
gold to Mry Ra. It shows the King, the Queen and their two elder daugh-
ters standing in the outer court of their palace and in front of them Mry ra
, who is shown in a very small scale, is being presented with Gold collars
by the king . The servants were ordered to place the collars upon him.

The Northern wall of the Main chapel gives access to the Second cha-
pel through a doorway which It also is decorated by a cavetto cornice. Its
jambs (18) are decorated by some hymns to Aton. As for its lentil (18) is
decorated by two kneeling figures of Mry ra flanking the names of the royal
couple and god Aton.

Second chapel
This second chapel is larger than the first one but it is unfinished and its
walls and floor are left in a rough condition. Only 3 of the squared pillars
have been cut away. It leads to a small shrine which is also unfinished and
was intended to contain a statue for Mry re.

The burial shaft in this chapel is led to by a group of stairs but it was
never used.

34
 3.Tomb of Penthu
Number 5 at tell el Amarna
Introduction
The tomb of Penthu is badly damaged nowadays not only due to the
destruction done by the followers of Amen, or due to weather conditions,
but also because this tomb was used as a dwelling place as the scenes on
the Northern wall were completely removed and two niches were added.

The importance of this tomb lies in the fact that the figures on its walls
were hollowed as moulds and filled with coloured pilaster, many of which
have fallen off leaving only the rough edges of the hollow figures.

The owner of the tomb

PENTHU had many titles, among these are:

Ô Royal scribeÕ ,

First under the KingÕ ,

Chief servitor of the Aton in the Estate of the Aton at AkhetAtonÔ

Chief Physician.

The fa• ade of the tomb

The façade of the tomb is completely destroyed except for the entrance
door way which is located in the middle.

Plan of the tomb:

The tomb just like the rest of the Amarna tombs takes the cruciform
interior plan.

The tomb consists of a short entrance passage leading to the main long
vertical hall, which in turn leads to the transverse hall with the burial shaft

35
TOMBS & TEMPLES

on the South Eastern side. It measures

about 40 ft. in depth. The transverse hall
leads to the shrine of the tomb which
once contained the statue of the owner
that has been completely removed since
the tomb was used as a dwelling place.

The door Lentil from outside (1) is

decorated by a raised frame showing
royal cartouches flanked by figures of
Penthu in adoration .

The walls of` the short entrance pas-

sage (2,3) that lead to the main chapel
are decorated by Figures of Penthu
stand in an attitude of adoration before
texts containing prayers to the Aton,

Decoration of the main hall

The principal decorated wall is the North Western wall with two reg-
isters of scenes.

Upper register (4) the Royal Family inside the temple. Akhenaton
is followed by Nefertiti, then by three princesses inside the temple. Atten-
dants and waiting chariots are represented at the left edge waiting for the
royal family to finish their visit. Also the royal chariot is identified by the
feathers on the heads of the horses is also waiting for them. To the right of
the Royal Family is a simplified drawing of an Aton temple surmounted by
a representation of Aton. Within the temple are many offering-tables on
curved legs, heaped with meat offerings.

Scene (5) to the right of the Northern wall, the Royal Family are repre-
sented while rewarding Penthu who is standing in front of the King, whilst
a servant adjusts the gold collars just presented to him by the King. The
whole scene is shown under the rays of Aton.

36
 Behind the Royal family there are royal attendants and in front of them
there is a representation of a sanctuary.

Lower register (6) is divided into three parts vertically:

It represents Penthu while supervising the work in the granary.

In the middle of the scene the King and the Queen are represented
under Aton and they are followed by three of their daughters, all under
the rays of Aton. In front of the king ,there is a representation of Penthu,
standing in a small scale surrounded by courtiers and receiving golden
insignia from the king. Behind the Royal family there are royal attendants
represented in registers.

The South Eastern wall,

This wall contains two scenes, one on the upper part of the wall (7) and
one on its lower part (8).

The upper register (7), This scene is badly damaged but it represents
the Royal family Dinning. The scene represents the king and Nefertity

the two feathers above her head. Penthu is serving the royal family.

The Lower register (8), It represents Penthu rewarded in the royal

palace.

The scene shows the King and the Queen seated in the palace recep-
tion and in front of them Penthu receiving royal gifts.

The left side of the scene shows Penthu outside the palace gardens be-
ing congratulated by his friends.

37
TOMBS & TEMPLES

4. The Royal Tomb of Akhenaton

At Tell El Amarna
Location of the Tomb
The tomb is located six kilometres up the Royal Wadi which separates
the hills surrounding Akhetaton from the East and thus separating the
Northern private tomb from the Southern ones.

The entrance to the tomb is cut in the floor of the Wadi facing East.

Plan of the Tomb

The entrance leads to a stairway of 20 steps with a central slide of about
one metre in width. The side walls of the stairway were originally covered
by a layer of plaster , many parts of which has disappeared nowadays.

The staircase leads to a long undecorated sliding corridor that slopes at

an angle of 16 degrees. The corridor was once covered by a layer of plaster
few traces of which can still be seen.

Halfway in the right side of the corridor there opens a doorway that
leads to 6 unfinished corridors and chambers. Opposite the doorway to
these chambers is another rectangular opening about 22* 3. 50 meters
wide. This opening was probably for making another room or rooms but
was never finished.

At the end of the corridor there is a second sliding staircase of about 18

steps and a central slide of 1 meter in width.

The staircase declines at an angle of 40 degrees. The side walls are also
undecorated but they were once covered by a layer of plaster.

At the top of this staircase to the right a doorway opens and leads to
three rooms known as Alpha, Beta and Gamma that were decorated.

38
 On the wall opposite to this doorway another rectangular opening was
made for making another room or series of rooms but work was aban-
doned.

At the foot of the staircase lies a doorway that leads to the well shaft.
The shaft is about 3.12m deep. The walls of the room that form the upper
part of the well were once decorated by scenes of the royal couple making
offerings to Aton. However they all disappeared nowadays. The function of
the well is to protect the tomb from floods and severe storms.

The well room directly leads to the door of the burial chamber of the
King. The entrance to this chamber was blocked by stone blocks arranged
6 horizontally and 2 vertically. The same type of these blocks was found
inside the well, which shows that the burial chamber was opened.

The burial chamber is squared in shape measuring about 11*11m. The

floor of the Southern side of the chamber is slightly raised about 35 cm.
The roof of this area is supported by two pillars. The walls and ceiling of
this chamber were once coated by a layer of plaster and then painted,
however only few scenes can still be seen. The area behind the pillars was
used in storing funerary equipment.

39
TOMBS & TEMPLES

In the middle of the floor area lies the base of the sarcophagus of the
king.

At the corner of the right wall of the burial chamber another chamber
was cut but it was abandoned.

Decoration of the Royal Tomb

1. Burial Chamber
This chamber which is considered the largest in the tomb was the best
decorated in the entire tomb as the walls, ceilings and piers were all deco-
rated by colorful scenes. However these scenes were destroyed by the
followers of Amun to take revenge from Akhenaton. Only parts that re-
mained are those high on the walls as the destroyers couldn’t reach them.
However, from these remains scholars were able to put together some of
the scenes that must have occupied these walls.

i. Among these scenes is a scene depicting the king and the queen
followed by four of their daughters, in front of heaped offering ta-
bles as they are making offerings to Aton, under the rays of Aton.
Behind them the wall is divided into 4 registers showing rows of
attendants.

ii. Another scene represents the king, queen and her daughters, all
under the rays of the Aton, mourning the death of a female figure
to the right represented under a canopied shrine decorated by a
frieze of cobras. Scholars believe that the figure was that of queen
Tiye. The scene also contains mourners in different attitudes.

iii. On a third wall there is an adoration scene showing 5 representa-

tions of the aton, the biggest is shown above the royal couple who
are shown adoring the sun disc.

iv. Another scene on the Northern wall just opposite to the base of
the sarcophagus shows the royal family mourning a figure of an
unknown deceased placed under a canopy which is in turn sur-
mounted by a representation of Aton.

40
 As for the pillars they were probably decorated by representations of
the sun disc as well as by inscriptions giving epithets of Aton and names
and titles of the king and the Queen.

2. The rooms Alpha , Beta and Gama

They were cut during the 12th regnal year of Akhenaton after the death
of Meketaton. The three rooms led to one another. The walls Alpha and
Gama are decorated while those of Beta were undecorated either because
it was used as a store room for the other rooms or because it was never
finished.

Room Alpha
The room is 5.5 m square and 3 m. high. The walls and the ceiling were
coated by a layer of plaster then painted by colorful scenes. The room con-
tains four niches on the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western walls.
These niches were cut after the walls were completely decorated.. They
were made to contain amulets and magical bricks inscribed by chapter
151 of the book of the dead. After they were filled with their contents they
were sealed with plaster. The contents of these niches were stolen. The
niches imply that alpha was a burial chamber.

The Western and the Eastern walls are decorated in the same way but
on the Eastern wall the sun is rising while on the Western wall the sun is
setting. Both walls show the royal couple followed by two of their daugh-
ters, all under the rays of the aton. They are performing the morning ritu-
als in front of the sanctuary of the great temple. Behind the royal couple
the scene is divided into registers showing fan bearers courtiers and chari-
oteers, all in front of the gates of the palace.

The Northern wall is a continuation of the scene on the Eastern wall as

all the figures on this wall face the direction of the rising sun. The wall is
divided into 7 registers. The first 4 represent the military and civil popula-
tion of Akhetaton in different postures. As for the other 3 they represent
Nubians and Asiatics adoring the Aton.

The Southern wall represents the royal family while mourning the death
of Meketaton. The scene represents two episodes. The first represent the

41
TOMBS & TEMPLES

royal couple in one of the rooms of the palace, under the rays of the Aton
and they are leaning forward in a mourning attitude. Outside the room
female mourners are represented while weeping. The second episode rep-
resents the couple in the same attitude but in front of the deceased body
lying on a funerary bed.

Gama
The room is 2 * 3.5m. in height. The walls of the room and the ceil-
ing were once coated with plaster. It was probably the burial chamber for
Meketaton. The scenes on the walls of this room are in a bad condition.
However, one of the scenes is similar to the scene on the Southern wall
of Alpha. It represents the royal couple in front of the funerary bed of Me-
ketaton.

under a canopy decorated by a cavetto cornice. In front of the canopy the

royal couple are shown leaning in a mourning attitude under the rays of
Aton. Behind the couple there are three of the deceased s sisters all with
signs of grief. The rest of the scene shows mourners in different attitudes.

C. El Ashmounin
El Ashmounin, was the capital of the Hare Nome wnt, the 15th Nome
of upper Egypt, one of the Nomes from which el Menya comprises. It was
built on either side of the Nile. The name of the city is derived from the
Coptic word shmun which was a mistaken pronunciation of the Ancient
Egyptian word (eight), which refers to the eight deities of Oghdood
el Ashmounien.

These eight deities are:

Amun and Amunet : what is hidden
kok and koket: darkness
Hoh and Hohet: endless space
Nun and Nunet: primeval waters

42
 During the Greco- Roman period, it only occupied the West bank and
was known as Hermopolis as the city was associated with the Greek god
Hermis, who was identified with the local god of el Ashmounin Thoth in
his lunar aspect.

During the Ptolemaic period it was Hermopolis Magna to differentiate it

from another city at in the Eastern delta, known as Hermopolis Parva.

In el Ashmounin there are the remains of some columns thought at

first to be the ruins of an Agoura or a market place but it turned out to be
remains of a Basilica from the Byzantine Period.

Also there are two baboons which are the only remains of the temple of
Thoth built by Amenhotep III.

D. Tuna el Gabal
It is considered to be the necropolis of el Ashmounin. It was famous
for its nine tomb chapels from the Roman period, the Hypogeum or the
under ground galleries containing mummified sacred animals like ibis,
baboons and falcons. These sacred animals were placed either in wooden
coffins or in pottery jars. The Hypogeum was attached to the temple of
Thot which is badly destroyed nowadays. As well as the 60 funerary hous-
es, that date back the late period and to the Greco roman period.

Among these are the tombs of Petosiris that dates back to 300 B.C and
the tomb of Isadora that dates back to the Roman period.

1. Tomb of Isadora
It is situated in Tuna el Gebal behind the tomb of Petosiris. Isadora was
a beautiful girl who lived in Egypt during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Hadrian. She drowned when she was crossing the Nile river to meet her
lover on the other bank. Her father grieved her and built her this tomb to
commemorate her memory.

43
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The tomb was built out of mud brick. It is a tall building whose entrance
is approached by a staircase.

chamber gives access to the second chamber through a doorway. Its door
posts are decorated by Greek papyri which are poems wrote by her father
to mourn her death.

The second chamber contains a niche in the middle of its back wall.
Its roof is decorated by a representation of a shell. The lower part of the
niche has a kline or a couch on which was placed the mummy of Isadora.

motifs.

In the Eastern wall of the second chamber, lies two small recesses which
were either used to contain statuettes or for offerings.

44
 2. Tomb of Petosiris
The tomb of Petosiris is the only free standing tomb that takes the shape
of the façade of the Egyptian temple that dates back to the early Greco- ro-
man period, reign of Ptolemy I

Petosiris
Petosiris whose name is P3 di wsir or the gift of Osiris, was the high
priest of Thoth. He built this tomb for himself, his father Shesu, his brother
Djed thoth iw. f ankh, and his son Zeho, who were all high priests of
Thoth. Thus three generations were buried in this tomb.

The tomb
The tomb takes the rectangular shape and it is built from both limestone
and sandstone. It measures 6 meters in width and seven meters in length.
It consists of a pro-naos and a naos.

The tomb is famous for its mixed iconography which clearly appeared
in the pro-naos where the daily life scenes are represented.

The term mixed iconography means using both schools of art; the An-
cient Egyptian and the Greco- Roman schools of art, both in the same
tomb.

It best appears in:

• The light blue color which is a Greek color that appeared for the first
time in that tomb.

• The deceased and his workers all appeared in frontal view.

• The male and female figures are all dressed in greek tunics and with
curly hair.

45
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The facade
In front of the tomb lies a high horned altar made out of stone .
The façade of the column consists of four columns attached to one
another by means of Tomb by means of screen walls. The two columns
on the sides have palm leaves capitals while the two in the middle have
composite floral capitals.
On either side of the entrance to the tomb is the speech of petosiris
addressed to the visitors of the tomb asking them to make offerings to him
in the form of thousand of bear, thousand of wine, thousand of oxen and
thousand of fowls.
As for the screen walls they are also decorated with scenes and inscrip-
tions.
The first two on either side of the entrance doorway are decorated by
the autobiography of Petosiris and his family members.
The two screen walls in the middle are decorated by a scene of Petosiris
in front of god Thoth in his Ibis form.
The two outer screen walls are decorated by a similar scene of Petosiris
but in front of Thoth in the form of the baboon.
As for the pilaster on the extreme outer sides it is divided into three
registers, depicting Petosiris in front of different deities.

46
 The right side shows him standing before Nephthys on the bottom reg-
ister.

The middle on in front of Osiris and the uppermost one in front of

Sokar.

As for the left side, the lower register represents him before Isis, the
middle one before Osiris and the uppermost one in front of an unidenti-
fied deity as his head is damaged.

The Pronaos
The entrance leads to the pronaos. It is a rectangular hall whose walls
are decorated by daily life scenes showing the mix iconography.

Scene (1) at the back of the screen wall on the left hand side, depicts
two men seated on either side of a heap of berries removing the bad ones
from the heap. A third man is shown emptying a sack of berries into the
heap. Lower down the scene shows 2 methods of crushing the berries to
extract the oil.

Scene (2) depicts carpenters making funerary furniture. It also shows

goldsmiths melting the gold to make the jewelry.

Scene (3) shows agricultural scenes. The lower register shows workers
ploughing the land, and throwing the seeds. The middle register shows
harvesting the flax and collecting it in bundles. The top scene shows har-
vesting and threshing the wheat.

47
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Scenes (4 and 5) on the sides of the entrance to the naos, depicts both
Petosiris and his wife and behind them are members of their family.

Scene (6) represents cattle breading scenes in the top and middle reg-
isters. These represent the mating between an ox and a cow then we have
a scene of a cow in labor giving birth to a calf. Another scene shows a man
sitting underneath a cow and milking it.

The lower register represents the gathering of grapes and the making of
wine.

Scenes (7 and 8) at the back of the screen walls on the right hand
side, shows scenes of hammering metal to make offering tables and game
pieces. Another scene shows the weighing of a metal jar.

At the interior side of the pilaster Petosiris is shown playing the Senet
game.

The pronaos gives access to the naos by means of a door way whose
sides are decorated by lines of Hieroglyphic inscriptions giving the detailed
autobiography of Petosiris.

The Naos
It is a rectangular hall that contains four pillars supporting its roof. At the
middle of the hall there is a burial shaft which is about 8 m. in depth. At the
bottom of the shaft there is a burial chamber that contains the mummies
of Petosiris, his father, his brother and his son, who were all High priests
of Thoth.

The walls of the naos are mainly decorated by funerary and religious
scenes all following the ancient Egyptian rules of art. However, the lower
register of some of the walls of the Naos shows scenes following the Greco-
Roman style of art. It should be noted that many of the scenes in the Naos
are copied from the Book of the Dead and the Imy Dwat to facilitate the
passage of the soul of the deceased to the underworld.

48
 The scenes on the left part of the naos represent Shesu, the father of
Petosiris and the high priest of Thoth.

The sides of the pillars are all decorated by scenes of the deceased in
front of different deities.

Scene (9) It represents Shesu and his wife in front of a sacred tree from
which emerges goddess Nut.

Scene (10) It represents the transportation of the funerary equipment

of Shesu to his tomb, including a naos being brought on a cart rather than
on sledges in the usual way.

Another scene represents Shesu as a mummy standing on the staircase

of his tomb and in front of him is his grand son Zehu wearing panther skin
and purifying the mummy of his grandfather.

Oxen are shown slaughtered under Shesu’s feet.

Scenes (11 and 13) both represent nine squares of baboons all rais-
ing their arms in adoration in front of a representation of Shesu on a large
scale.

Scene (12) represents the god Khepri of eternity, in the form of a scarab
wearing the the Atef crown and flanked by Nekhbet and Wadjet, as female
figures with the heads of a vulture and cobra. They are represented with
outstretched wings, each housing the Sn sign of eternity.

Scene (14) represents a line of deities in front of god Thoth.

Scene (15) represents nine baboons represented as worshipers of the

sun.

Scene (16) It contains the inscriptions of the erection of the djed pillar,
symbol of resurrection.

49
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The Temple and the Religious meaning

of its components
The words and are terms used to describe the temple
from the archaic period to the Ptolemaic period. The word means
the place of offerings; it was also used to refer to the false door as its main
function is to mark the place of offerings.
The word means the house of the god which clearly describes
the main function of the temple.
The Temple consists of 6 elements:
1. The avenue of sphinx
2. The pylon
3. The open court
4. The Hypostyle hall
5. The sanctuary
6. The enclosure wall

The Avenue of Sphinx:

It is the way that usually leads to the entrance of the temple or it
connects between two temples. It either contains sphinx statues rep-
resenting the lion’s body with human heads which is in this case
referring to the King or it contains ram headed statues, in this case it
refers to god Amen.
In the ancient Egyptian language, the avenue of sphinx is called
which means the way of the god. This explains the main function
of the avenue which is to protect the procession of the god when he
comes in or goes out of the temple during festivals.

The Pylon:
It is the huge high gate between two huge towers which are deco-
rated from the top by cavetto cornice. The word pylon is originally
a Greek word, however the ancient Egyptian word for the pylon is
known as the two towers are usually decorated by scenes rep-
resenting the King smiting his enemies.

50
 Also in front of the pylon, there are always representations of seated
colossal statues of the King who erected the pylon as well as obe-
lisks.
The pylon represents the sign which means the “Horizon”. The
two towers of the pylon represent the Eastern and the Western
mountains of the sign. As for the solar disc on the top of the it
represents the sanctuary which contains the statue of the god.

The Open Court:

It is the widest open place in the temple. It is surrounded from all
side by columns. Sometimes these columns are decorated by Osirid
statues. These statues are probably for the King who erected or dec-
orated the court. The Egyptians called this part of the temple
which means the “Court of Festival.”
The main function of this court, is to receive representatives of the
high officials who are coming to attend the festivals. Also in this court
you could see private statues placed by their owners in the open
court for two reasons:
1. To receive and share offerings and prayers given by the visitors to
the gods.
2. For the statues to be revived by the power of the sun.

The Hypostyle Hall:

This hall is different from the open court as it has a roof. This roof is
supported by columns. The hall is divided into 3 aisles, the central
aisle is higher than the other ones and its roof is supported by open
papyrus capitals. As for the side aisles, they are wider in size than the
central aisles and their roofs are supported by columns with closed
papyrus capitals.
Windows are built in the central aisles to allow the light and air to
enter and so that is why the capitals of papyrus are opened.
The name of this hall in hieroglyphics is which means the
hall of shining. This explains the main function of the hall which is

51
TOMBS & TEMPLES

to allow the statue of the god to shine after it comes out of the dark-
ness of the sanctuary. The papyrus columns in this hall imitate the
marches of the delta in which Isis and Hathor lived
The Sanctuary:
This is the most important and the darkest part of the temple. It is
known as the which means the great throne. It is usually lo-
cated at the end of the temple/ in the center of the sanctuary, there
is a naos that contains the statue of the god. Festivals are held in the
sanctuary by priests upon the statue of the god twice a day. Once
during dawn and once during sunset in order to revive the spirit of
the god.
The Enclosure Wall:
It is a large hall surrounding the temple. It is originally built by mud
bricks. It is usually a wavy enclosure wall to indicate the primeval
ocean. Thus the temple is surrounded by the primeval ocean the
same as in the creation mythology of the Heliopolitan cult.

Cave of Artimes
It is located two miles South of the necropolis of Beni Hassan, at Baton
el Baqara Wadi. It is a rock cut temple carved during the joint reign of
Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III. The temple was dedicated to the Lion god-
dess Pakhet. Her name means “The Tearer” or “She Who Scratches.” She
is considered to be the protectoress of mothers and little children. Pakhet
was one of the most ancient goddesses of Egypt. She was believed to give
inner strength to people, especially to women. She is thought to be a
daughter of Ra. Pakhet was also associated with the fierce desert storms.
Pakhet was pictured as a woman with the head of a lioness or as a desert
wildcat often killing snakes with her sharp claws. She was honoured and
worshipped in this underground temple or cave where mummified cats
have been found buried there.
During the Greco- Roman, Pakhet was identified with Artimes, the
daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. She was the Hel-
lenic goddess of forests and hills and was often depicted as a huntress
carrying a bow and arrows. That explains way this temple was known as

52
Speos Artemidos or Cave of Artimes during the Greco- Roman period. It
was also known by the Arabs as Istabl-Antar or Antar’s Stable after an
ancient hero.
The Temple itself:
The Temple consists of a vestibule and an inner chamber connected
by a short corridor.
Above the entrance is a long inscription glorifying the reign of Hat-
shepsut and comparing it to the chaos that took place during the Hyksos
Period.
The vestibule originally had eight pillars of which only three remain
bearing on their sides the names of Tuthmosis III and Seti I, as the names
and representations of Hatshepsut were erased by Seti I of the 19th Dy-
nasty.
On the rear wall to the left of the door leading to the inner chamber is
Seti I represented between Amun-Re and the cat headed goddess Pakhet
with Thoth addressing the Nine great gods of Karnak and the Gods of Up-
per and Lower Egypt.
To the right of the door are three reliefs:
Seti I sacrificing to Pakhet
Seti I receiving from Pakhet the sign of life hanging down from two
sceptres
Seti I being blessed by Thoth.
The vestibule leads via a short
corridor to the inner chamber.
On the left side of the corridor is
a long inscription in the name of
Seti I and a representation of the
King. On the right side, the King
is presenting a baboon to Pakhet.
The rear wall of the inner
chamber contains a niche for the
goddess’s statue.

53
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Temples of Abu Simbel

The Temples of Abu Simbel were built by Ramesses II during his 10th
reginal year at Abu Simbel which lies 280 KM south of Aswan. They were
cut out of the sand stone rock mountains and designed to overlook the
Nile, only 150 m apart.

These temples, the Great one and the Small one have been completed
during the 23rd reginal year of the King. The Great Temple is also known
as the Southern temple and the Temple of Rahorakhety due to the fact
that it lies to the south of the Small temple and it was dedicated to god
Rahorakhety. As for the Small temple it was also known as the Northern
temple and the temple of Hathor, lady of Ebshek.(The region of Ebshek
lies south of Abu Simbel in Sudan).

Ramesses II built the Great temple for himself to be defied and wor-
shiped and he built the small temple and dedicated it for the worshipping
of his wife Nefertari and to become a long lasting evidence for their ever-
lasting love story.

The ancient Egyptians were not only great engineers and architects but
were also great astronomers which explains how they designed the Great
temple in a way in which the sun rays would penetrate into its sanctuary ;
about 60m deep, and shine the face of the statue of the King twice a year
: once during his birthday and once during his coronation day. The whole
modern world counted the Great temple of Abu Simbel as a phenomenon.

However, after building the high dam, and due to the increase in the
water level of the Nile river, the temples were threatened to be flooded
and totally submerged in water and thus had to be moved to a higher
location. The UNESCO called for an international operation to safe the
temples of Abu Simbel. The Egyptian government received many proposals
from all around the world for rescuing these temples. They accepted the
Italian proposal which was based upon cutting the temple into 1042 pieces
to reassemble it on another location 200 m away from the original site and
65 m higher. in 1964, the operation started, everything was recreated
even the mountains in which the temples were once carved in. They made

54
a dome above each temple to protect the temples from falling apart and
they covered the dome with sand stone blocks. The best engineers in the
world succeeded in saving the two temples and the operation ended in
1968 but they couldn’t duplicate what Ramesses II’s engineers succeeded
in doing, they missed by one day. The inauguration of the temples was
in 1972.

Today, the sun shines inside the temple one day before the King’s coro-
nation day and one day before his birthday. The sun used to shine on both
the façade and into the sanctuary of the Great temple, some 60 meters
deep into the mountain twice a year. Those days were King Ramesses II’s
birthday ( 22 oct) and his coronation day (22 feb), where the sun would
sign the three solar deities in the sanctuary Rahorakhty, Ramesses II, Amun
ra except the fourth statue of Ptah which was left in the dark.

Millions of tourists from the whole wide world come today to visit the
temples of Abu Simbel which is collaboration between ancient and mod-
ern engineers.

The Great Temple Of Abu Simbel :

• The Facade of the Great Temple

The façade of the Great temple is a trapezoid of about is 38m in width

and 33m. in height. It is decorated by four, 20 m colossal statues of the
king, two on either side of the entrance. Little statues of his family are cut
between his legs. The top of the façade is decorated by a cavetto cornice
bearing cartouches of the king. Above the cavetto cornice there is a row of
Baboons statues adoring the sun. Under the cavetto cornice there is line of
inscriptions giving the names and titles of the King.

The entrance to the temple is cut in the middle of the façade between
the 4 statues. Above the entrance there is a recess decorated by a repre-
sentation of god Rahorakhety. On his right there is an usr scepter and on
his left is the Mact sign. All is read as usr mact ra. On either side of the re-
cess there is a scene of the king raising his hands in adoration of the statue

55
TOMBS & TEMPLES

of Rahorakhety.

• The Interior Design

1. The First Pillared Hall:

The entrance leads to the first Pillared hall which is 20 m long by 18

m wide. Inside the hall, there are eight Osirid sculptures lined-up four by
four against 8 squared pillars in the hypostyle hall. The four statues on the
north represent the king wearing the double crown and those on the south
show him wearing the white crown.

The scenes of this hall mainly represent scenes of the battle of Kadesh
and traditional offering scenes of the king making offerings in front of dif-
ferent gods to gain their blessings.

There are 8 side chambers surrounding the hypostyle hall for keeping
and storing the offerings and temple equipment. This is confirmed by the
scenes on their walls.

2. The Second Pillared Hall:

Deeper into the rock is another pillared hall that measures 11x 12m. It
contains 4 pillars two on either side. The scenes here mainly represent the
king and his wife Nefertary.

3.The Vestibule:

At the western end of this second hypostyle hall, there are 3 doors lead-
ing to the vestibule which in turn leads to the sanctuary of the temple in
the center and to two small undecorated side rooms on the sides, probably
for storage.

4.The Sanctuary:

Inside the sanctuary cut in the rock are 4 statues representing Ptah,
Amon, Ramesses II defied and Rahorakhety. In the middle of the room
there is the remains of a pedestal which was probably for placing the sa-
cred bark.

56
 The Small Temple Of Abu Simbel
This temple of Hathor and Nefertari is known as the Small Temple. It is
located about one hundred meters northeast of the Great temple. It was
built by Ramesses II who dedicated it to the goddess Hathor, the lady of
Ebshek and to his chief consort, Nefertari. This was in fact the second time
in ancient Egyptian History that a temple was dedicated to a queen. The
first time, Amenhotep III dedicated a temple to his great royal wife Tiye.

• The Façade of the Temple

Its rock-cut facade is 30m in width and 13m in height . It is hewn

from the rock in imitation of a pylon with a cavetto cornice which is nowa-
days missing . The Façade does not form an exact right angle with the main
axis of the temple.

The façade is decorated with two groups of three colossi that are sepa-

57
TOMBS & TEMPLES

rated by a large gateway. The statues are slightly more than ten meters high
and they represent the king and his Queen.

On either side of the entrance to the temple is a statue of Ramesses II

once wearing the white crown and once wearing the double crown. Then
next to him on either side is a deified statue of Nefertari wearing the
emblem of Hathor above her head and holding the sistrum in her hand.
Next to her statue, Ramesses II is represented again. Thus the statues of
Nefertari are flanked by those of Ramesses II. Her Statues are the same
height as those of Ramesses which is unusual.

Between the legs of the six colossal statues there are small statues de-
picting their children. There is a frieze of cobras above the entrance door
which is in the center of the façade. High above the doorway is a block
of undressed stone which may have been made for carving the head of
Hathor .

• Pillared Hall :

The doorway leads into a squared pillared Hall divided into three aisles
by six pillars. These pillars are decorated from their fronts by the head of
the cow eared goddess Hathor. On the other sides of the pillars are scenes
of the royal couple and various deities.

The scenes decorating this hall are simpler and less colorful than those
in the Great Temple . On the entrance wall, the King accompanied by
the Queen is shown smiting once a Libyan enemy in the presence of Re-
Harakhty and once a Nubian in the presence of Amun-Re.

On the left-hand wall from left to right : are scenes of Ramesses in the
presence of Hathor, Ramesses crowned by Seth and Horus . The Queen
in the presence of Anubis. Ramesses presenting an image of Maat to
Amun.

On the right hand wall from right to left are senes of Ramesses mak-
ing offerings to Ptah. Ramesses in the presence of the ram headed god
Herishef. The Queen in the presence of Hathor and Ramesses II is offer-

58
ing a cup to Re-Harakhty.

On the rear wall the Queen is depicted in the presence of Hathor on

the left and in the presence of Mut on the right.

• The Transverse Hall

From the Pillared Hall, three doorways lead into a narrow Transverse
hall with scenes showing the Queen making offerings infront of Hathor.

To the left and right are two unfinished side chambers over the doors
of which are fine reliefs of Hathor coming out of the papyrus marshes and
worshiped respectively by the King and the Queen.

• The Sanctuary

Beyond the Transverse Chamber is the Sanctuary. Its rear wall is deco-
rated by a recess in the form of a chapel whose roof is supported by sistra.
In this recess is a figure of the goddess Hathor as a cow, in high relief, and
under her head is a representation of the Queen.
On the left hand wall, the Queen offers incense to Mut and Hathor.
On the right hand wall the King offers incense and pours libation in
front of his own image and infront of that of the Queen

59
TOMBS & TEMPLES

.Abydos

a. History
Abydos is the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian town called
which was the 8th Nome of Upper Egypt. Its modern name today is el
Araba and it lies about 420 km South of Cairo, near the town of el Baly-
ana, Sohag governorate.
The ruins of this ancient city cover about 6 x 3 kilometers on the very
edge of the dessert on the West bank of the Nile.
The necropolis of Abydos was called (the sacred land) and was
used from the prehistoric period down till the Roman Period.
During the Archaic period , the necropolis of Abydos gained great
importance due to the fact that the Kings of the 1st Dynasty and only
two Kings from the second Dynasty; and , built two
tombs for themselves one at Saqqara and one at Abydos, to satisfy both the
people of Upper and Lower Egypt. These kings built their tombs at an Um
el Ge’ab, (Mother of Pots) as the whole area is littered with the broken pot
shards of offerings made in later times.
During the Old kingdom and after this tradition was abandoned, Abydos
lost its importance and it became no longer administratively or economi-
cally important. Its local god at that time was Khenty-imenty, ‘Foremost of
the Westerners’, who was a major funerary deity. He was worshipped in
an ancient mud brick temple, probably dating to the Old Kingdom, in an
area known as Kom es-Sultan.
During the Middle Kingdom Abydos became the new cult center of
Osiris who now occupied a very important position in the ancient Egyptian
religion. Osiris moved from his cult center , Busiris (Abusir) to Abydos
where he was identified with it’s local god khenty- imenty. Thus the epi-
thets of Osiris became . The temple of khenty- imenty
was now used for worshipping Osiris. This led to the creation of his an-
nual festival. Thus the area of Kom es-Sultan became very crowded
with temples from the Middle Kingdom as well as with private chapels that
developed in front of the temple of Osiris.

60
 By then, the pilgrimage to Abydos became an important part of the
religious life of the ancient Egyptians which encouraged many kings to
make additions to the Temple of Osiris. Therefore, Abydos became one of
the national cemeteries of Egypt.
During the New Kingdom, many kings showed great interest in Aby-
dos and they carried out extensive building projects, like kings Seti I and
Ramesses II.
In the 18th Dynasty, the people mistakenly believed that the tomb of
Osiris where his head is buried was that of king Djer, of the First Dynasty,
at Um el Ge’ab. This tomb was used as a worshipping and offering place
to god Osiris, especially during the reigns of Amenhotep II and the III, as
none of the pottery offerings that were found near that tomb date to an
earlier date. It seems that these offerings continued down till the 26th Dy-
nasty. From the 20th Dynasty onwards, Abydos seemed to be declining.
During the Ptolemaic Period, the necropolis of Abydos was used on a
provincial scale. With the advance of the Roman rule, Abydos was over-
shadowed by Philae, which became the cult center of Osiris and god BES
replaced Osiris as the chief god of Abydos. Bes continued to be worshipped
there until the reign of Costantinnus II(359 A.D.) when his cult was of-
ficially suppressed.
Abydos was neglected during the Arab rule, although it was never com-
pletely abandoned.
Abydos was rediscovered in 1718 by Jesuit Sicard, after its location was
totally lost.
b. Necropolis
The Necropolis of Abydos can be divided into three cemeteries:
1. The Southern Cemetery:
It was mainly used during the New kingdom till the Roman period.
2. The Middle Cemetery:
It was used from the prehistoric down to the First Intermediate Period.
It was also in constant use during late Period and was used as an animal
hypogeum during the Roman period for burying Ibis birds and dogs.

61
TOMBS & TEMPLES

3. The Northern Cemetery:

It was mainly used during the Middle Kingdom. It is the biggest cem-
etery at Abydos and there are four main features that dominate this area:
i. The four walled enclosure of the temple of Osiris. It stands on the
North West corner of the town and the sandy edge of the dessert I an
area called Kom es Sultan.
ii. About 800 km to the West of the temple of Osiris is a high fortress of
mud bricks kown as Shunet el Zebib.
iii. Very close to Shunit el Zebib stands another building known as the
Middle Fort. Both Shunit el-Zebib and the Middle Fort were probably
used as royal funerary palaces by the kings of the Archaic Period.
iv. On the edge of this cemetery, overlooking the Wadi, isan area
known as “the staircase of the Great God” (rdw n ntr’3), were the
people during the Middle Kingdom erected their stelae in order to
benefit from the offerings given to Osiris during the religious ceremo-
nies which were performed in the Wadi.
4. The Wadi:
The Middle and Northern Cemeteries are divided by a shallow depres-
sion called the Wadi, which has been forbidden to be used as a burial
place because it was the sacred route for the religious procession of Osiris.
It remained so until the Greco Roman Period (Ptolemy II).
Between 1906- 1907, Professor Garstang discovered a Greco-Roman
cemetery in the Wadi.

Necropolis of Abydos

62
 Temple Of Seti I At Abydos
Introduction
It was begun by Seti I and finished by his son, the great Ramesses II. In
fact, this structure built of fine white limestone is actually one of the most
impressive religious structures in Egypt.

In the 19th Dynasty, Seti I began to restore Abydos to its former glory
after it was over shadowed under Akhenaton´s rule. Seti began to build
what is maybe the most beautiful temple ever, in white limestone, to all
gods and all former kings of Egypt and he placed it near an earlier temple
and by a processional path.

The main reason for him to built such a temple because he probably
wanted to establish his Divine right to the throne as his father, Ramesses I,
was of low birth and had been raised to the office as vizier by Horemheb.

He called his temple (

The Joyful temple of Million of Years of king of Upper and Lower Egypt

The temple has two unusual features:

* It takes the inverted L letter.

* It is dedicated to Seti I and seven different deities, Osiris and Isis along
with, Ptah-Sokar, Nefertem, Re-Horakhty, Amun, and Horus.

Two kinds of rituals were performed in the temple the daily rituals for
the deities and the ancestors ritual ( a funerary ritual) in the shrine of Sety
I.

The temple consists of a ramp, a front terrace, two pylons, with two
courts and pillared porticoes, followed by two hypostyle halls and seven
chapels, with additional chambers to the South making up the short leg of
the L.

63
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Storage chambers fill the area from the Southern wing to the front of
the temple.

The main body of the temple was symmetrical back to the seven cha-
pels.

It should be noted that the first Pylon, the first open court, the second
Pylon and the second open court were built and decorated by Ramesses II

The First Pylon

It was built by Ramesses II out of sandstone. It used to consist of two
towers the Northern and Southern towers. It was approached by a staircase
and were decorated by battle scenes of R II. Now it is completely damaged
except for some blocks of the interior face of the Southern tower.

The First Open Court

After passing through the gateway of the pylon you reach the first open
court. It was also erected by Ramesses II and now it is in ruins. The walls of
this court were also decorated by battle scenes of Ramesses II.

To the North and South sides of this court are two circular basins used
for the purification of the worshippers in this temple.

Near the Northern basin one can still see a deep well which indicates
the function of both basins.

At the back of the court is a flight of steps leading up to a portico, the

roof of which was supported by 12 pillars of limestone and sandstone.
These pillars were once decorated by osirid statues of Ramesses II.

The Second Pylon

It was built by Ramesses II and it used to consist of two towers the
Northern and Southern towers. Now it is completely damaged except for
some blocks of the interior face of the Northern and Southern tower. The
Northern tower was decorated by the names and figures of the daugh-
ters of RII, while the Southern tower shows the names and figures of his
sons.

64
 The Second Open Court
The second court was also decorated by Ramesses II showing scenes of
him before different deities. At the back of this court is a ramp that leads
up to a portico whose roof is supported by 12 square pillars of limestone
and resting on sandstone bases. The sides of the pillars show scenes of
Ramesses II adoring different deities.

Originally the back of the second open court as built by Seti I had 7 en-
trances but Ramesses II blocked 5 of them. It should be noted that the wall
behind the portico was erected by Seti I but the pillars by RamessesII.

The Scenes:
The South Western wall of the Fa• ade

It represents two scenes:

1) To the left of the entrance is a scene of Ramesses II offering the
sign of Mact to Osiris, behind whom stands Isis and Seti I. The
scene is surrounded by text showing prayers to Oisris.

2) Ramesses II raising his hand and pointing towards a Dedica-

tory text. This text is the longest of Ramesses II’s reign. It men-
tions several historical facts among which how Seti I chose prince
Ramesses to be his co-regent, How Ramesses visited the temple
of his father during his first regnal year to find it unfinished and
the story of the temple completion.

The North Western wall of the Fa• ade

There are three scenes on this side of the fa• ade:
1) To the right of the entrance shows Horus, Isis and Seti in proces-
sion.

2) A Scene shows RII near the sacred tree (Isd tree) of Heliopolis
receiving the Royal scepter and flail from Rahorakhety who is fol-
lowed by Osiris. God Ptah is recording the names of RII on the
tree leaves and Thoth is recording his jubilees.

65
TOMBS & TEMPLES

3) A scene showing RII being led into the palace by Horus and Khnum.
This scene is entitled “Introduction of the King into the mansion of
his father, Rahorakhety.

The First Hypostyle Hall

This hypostyle hall was built by Seti I using both limestone and sand-
stone in its construction. The hall is rectangular in shape measuring 60m.
from North to South and 14m. from East to West.

The hall contains 24 papyrus bud columns arranged in pairs. These

sand stone columns measure about 7.5m in height.

The façade of this hall originally had 7 entrances, 5 of which were

blocked by Ramesses II.

The first hypostyle hall is separated from the 2nd hypostyle hall by
means of a sandstone wall with 7 doorways. Originally each doorway had
a double door of cedar wood decorated by gold and silver.

As for the decoration of the hall:

Seti I decorated the entire hall by scenes made in high relief before his
death. However Ramesses II converted all of them into sunk relief follow-
ing the outlines of Seti I and re-painted them. Traces of the original decora-
tion can still be seen on the door thickness.

The columns are all decorated by scenes of Ramesses II adoring and

making offerings to different deities of the temple.

The Eastern wall:

This wall contains three important scenes representing the foundation
of the temple.

Scene 1
The king is shown wearing the red crown and standing before Osiris
and fashioning the bricks of his temple of millions of years.
Scene 2
The king and goddess Seshat are measuring out the temple in the pres-
ence of god Osiris by means four sticks placed in the four cardinal points.

66
 Scene 3
It shows the king covering the walls of his temple in pilaster in the pres-
ence of Horus and Isis.

The Northern wall:

are pouring water over the king.

The Southern wall:

It shows three scenes:
1) The King in the running ceremony of the Hb- Sd, running towards
Amun and Sekhmet.

-
sented in the form of the w3st and the cnh signs.

3) The king is suckling from 4 different forms of hathor and is nursed in

the arms of Isis. It also shows the king being modeled by Khnum
in front of Ptah.

The Second Hypostyle Hall

This hall was built and decorated by SetiI. However Ramesses II re-
painted some of its scenes except for those on the northern and western
walls which were painted by SetiI.

is higher than the Eastern one by 50cm.

The roof of the hall is supported by 36 sand stone columns, 24 on the

Eastern side are papyrus bud capitals and the other 12 on the Western side
have no capitals and are completely plain.

The columns in this hall form 7 aisles, six of them end with ramps while
the middle 7th aisle which leads to the shrine of Amun Re ends with a

67
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The scenes:
The Northern wall shows a number of scenes:

behind him Isis , goddess of the West and Nephthys. Behind them
the wall is divided into 3 registers, each containing 9 small gods
in mummiform.

2)The second scene shows the king standing before Osiris and pre-
senting him with a statue of Mact. Isis and Horus are represented
behind Osiris.

The Western wall of the hall contains the 7 doors and the wall
connecting each door and the other are decorated by scenes
showing Seti I either kneeling or standing and making offerings to
the gods of the adjoining shrines or to a member of his triad .

As for the wall between doors 1and 2

register. The lower register shows Nefertum embracing the king. While on
the other side Mut presents the King with the jubilee staff.

Between the doors 3 & 2

The upper register shows the king kneeling in front of the isd tree and
receiving the hp sd sign from god Ptah and behind him is God Rahorakhty.

The lower register shows the king holding hands with goddess Sekhmet
who gives him the ankh sign. Also it shows Hathor giving the King the
breath of life.

Between door 4 &3

The King is shown wearing the Atef crown and kneeling before a rep-
resentation of Amon Ra, who is shown holding a jubilee staff. Behind the
King is a representation of a Ram-headed Rahorakhety.

breath of life from Isis. On the other side of the scene the king is shown
suckling from Mut.

68
 Between door 4 & 5
The King is represented kneeling and wearing the Atef crown before
God Amun Ra and receiving the Hk3 and the flail. Behind the king is a
representation of Osiris.

The lower register shows Khonsu giving the king the breath of life. On
the other side the King is represented as a child seated on the lap of Isis.

Between doors 5 & 6

The upper register the king is shown kneeling and burning incense be-
fore Osiris. Seated behind the king is a representation of Isis holding a
jubilee staff.

The lower register shows Wepwawet embracing the king. On the other
side the king is holding hands with Horus who is giving him a breath of
life.

Between doors 6 & 7

The upper register the king standing between Horus and Isis, receiving
the scepters of Upper and Lower Egypt .

The lower register show the king once receiving the breath of life from
Isis and on the other side the king is embraced by Horus.
The Seven shrines
The shrines from right to left belong to Horus, Isis, Osiris, Amun Re,
Rahorakhety, Ptah and Seti I defied.

In the center of the walls between the doorways of the shrines are small
niches for offerings.

Inside each shrine , the roof is vaulted and decorated with stars and fly-
ing vultures holding cartouches containing the names of the king.

The walls of the shrines all show the king making offerings to the god or
to member of his triad except for the shrine of Seti defied, it shows a priest
making offerings before the defied King.

All the rear walls of the shrines are blocked except for the shrine of
Osiris which leads to the hall of Osiris.

69
TOMBS & TEMPLES

The rear walls of the other six shrines are decorated by a representation
of a false door, a frieze of cobras and a recess for placing a model boat.

The first six shrines show scenes of daily rituals but the shrine of Seti I
shows ancestors rituals.

The Hall of Osiris

The back of the shrine of Osiris leads to the Hall of Osiris. It is a rectan-
gular hall that measures 12m in length and 10m in width. The roof is sup-
ported by 10 columns without capitals. These columns all bear inscriptions
stating that king Seti I renewed the temple of his father Osiris. This may
indicate that there was an older or ruined temple in the site of the temple
of Seti I.

This hall was used by the Christians during the Coptic period. As a result
the upper parts of the scenes were destroyed while the lower parts still re-
tain their original colors. This is due to the fact that the Christians covered
these paintings with a layer of stucco to make them invisible which helped
in preserving them.

The most important scenes on this hall are located on the Western wall.
These scenes are:
1) The scene of Erecting the Dd pillar. In this scene the King is assisted
by Isis in erecting the pillar. At its base there is a representation of
the king at a much smaller scale kneeling and wearing the white
crown.
2) The second scene represents the king standing before a shm pillar
and offering a loaf of bread. At the base of this pillar there is also a
kneeling representation of the king on a small scale but is wearing
the nemes headdress. On top the shm pillar is decorated by two
eyes of Horus. Behind it there is a standard on top of which there
is a representation of Horus in the form of a falcon. At its base
there is a similar representation of the King.
3) The third scene represents Isis and the King standing on either side
of the symbol of Abydos. Isis and the king are supporting it from
the top and two kneeling representations of the king are support-

70
 ing it from the bottom. The emblem is decorated from the top by
means of a representation of the head of the King wearing a uraes
and a hair wig.

The smaller hall of Osiris

At the Southern end of the Hall of Osiris there is a shallow ramp that
leads to the smaller hall of Osiris. It measures 10m * 9.5m. Its roof is sup-
ported by four columns without capitals. The Western and Eastern walls of
the hall , each contain 5 niches. The ten were made to contain statues. On
the Southern wall there are three shrines probably dedicated to the triad
Osiris. As for the scenes they are in bad condition as their upper parts are
completely destroyed.

The Southern Wing

This part of the temple is approached from the second Hypostyle hall.
It consists of 1)the hall of Sokar and Nefertum, 2)the corridor of the kings,
3) the hall of the boats, 4 )the slaughter court and 5) the Western passage
and some storerooms.

1. The Hall of Sokar:

This hall measures about 16m in length and 8m in width. It contains a
row of three round columns, however it seems that in the original plan this
hall was supposed to contain six columns, only three were carved and the
other three were abandoned as they still remain not fully carved against
the wall. On the Western side there are two shrines with vaulted roofs.
The Northern is dedicated to god Sokar and the Southern to Nefertum.
The walls depict Seti I worshipping the god Sokar in his various forms.

2. The Corridor of the Kings:

It is also known as the hall of ancestors. It measures 28m in length and
3 m in width. It slopes gently towards the South. Its walls are covered by
the names and titles of 76 kings starting with Menes and ending with Seti
I. Also the name of Ramesses II is mentioned and his figure is represented
four times as if announcing that he is the legal heir to the throne. Among
these scenes is a scene that represents Seti I with all signs of Royalty and
in front of him Ramesses II on a smaller scale, both holding the same rope

71
TOMBS & TEMPLES

which is tied to a strong bull. This scene has a certain significance that
the strong bull represents Egypt which is controlled by Seti I and his son
Ramesses II. Thus declaring Ramesses II as the future King of Upper and
Lower Egypt.

The list ignores the Kings of the 1st and 2nd Intermediate Periods, Hat-
shepsut, Akhenaton, Semenkhkara, Tutankhamon and Ay.

3. The Hall of Boats:

It measures 16m in length and 11m in width. Its roof is supported by 6
columns without capitals. Along the walls of this hall there are benches for
carrying sacred boats. There are two types of scenes in this hall, 1) Painted
scenes that date back to the reign of king Seti and 2)carved and colored
scenes that date back to the reign of Ramesses II. At the South East corner
of this hall there is a flight of limestone steps that lead to the roof of the
temple.

4. The Slaughter court:

It is rectangular in shape bordered from three sides by a colonnade. The
central part is open to the sky. The scenes of this hall show representations
of slaughtering sacrificial animals.

5. The Western Passage:

On the Southern side of the corridor of the Kings is a doorway that
had been opened on the Western wall leading to the Western entrance
of the temple. The jambs of the door are decorated by figures of Seti I.
The decoration of this passage has been begun by Seti I and completed by
Ramesses II.

6. Rooms and Magazines:

The purpose of many rooms in the temple are not known to us . How-
ever some are used as storerooms while others were used for administra-
tive purposes.

Recent excavations found some rooms and magazines occupying an

area of 700m in the rectangle formed by the main temple and the South-
ern wing. Some of these rooms were used as living quarters by the priests
serving the temple.

72
 The Enclosure wall
The temple is surrounded by an enclosure wall of mud bricks, many of
which are stamped with the name Seti I.

73
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Tomb of Kheti ( BH 17)

Plate 1, Western wall (northern half)

Plate 2, Western wall (southern half)

74
Plate 3, North wall (western half)

Plate 4, North wall (eastern half)

Plate 5, Eastern wall

75
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 6, South wall (eastern half)

Plate 6, South wall (western half)

76
Ameni (BH 2)

Plate 7, Exterior Inscriptions

Plate 8, Autobiography of Ameni

77
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 9, Western wall (southern half)

Plate 10, Western wall (Northern side)

78
 Plate 11, Northern wall

Plate 12, Eastern wall (northern side)

79
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 13, Doorway to the shrine

Plate 14, Eastern wall ( southern side)

80
Plate 15, Southern wall (eastern half)

81
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 16, South wall (western half)

82
Tomb of Khnumhotep (BH 3)

Plate 17, Exterior inscriptions ( upon jambs and lentil)

Plate 18, Western wall (divided by the doorway)

83
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 19 A, Western wall (southern half)

Plate 19 B, Upper lentil of the door

84
Plate 20, Western wall ( northern half)

85
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 21, Northern wall

Plate 22, Asiatic scene

86
 Plate 23, Eastern wall (northern half)

Plate 24, Above the door way to the shrine

87
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 25, Eastern wall ( southern side)

Plate 26, Southern wall

88
Plate 27, Shrine

Plate 28, Shrine

89
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Tomb of Huya (no 1)

Plate 29, side walls of the entrance passage Facing sun rise

Plate 30, Huya raising his hands in adoration Facing sunset

90
Plate 31, South wall (eastern side) Royal Banquet

Plate 32, Lower register showing Agricultural scene

91
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 33, South wall (western half) Evening Entertainment

Plate 34, Lower register showing musicians and entertainers

entertaining the Royal Family

Plate 35, Eastern wall, Visit to the temple

92
Plate 36, The same scene focusing on the representation of the temple

Plate 37, Focusing on the King and the Queen Mother

93
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 38, showing the altar in the temple of Aton

Plate 39, showing the pylons that from the temple of Aton

94
 Plate 40, Western wall, Foreign Tribute

Plate 41, same scene showing the Pavilion made for the ceremony

95
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 42, showing the different nationalities coming to congratulate the King

Plate 43, North wall (western half) Window of Appearances

96
Plate 44, Top right corner of the North western wall

Plate 45, Above the doorway to the transverse hall

Plate 46, Northern wall ( easten half)

97
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 47, doorway to the shrine

Plate 48, wall thickness of the shrine

98
 Plate 49, West wall, Funerary Procession

Plate 50, East wall, Mummy of Huya purified

99
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 51, Middle wall, funerary equipment

100
Tomb of Mry- Ra (no.4)

Plate 52, showing interior walls of the entrance

Plate 53, showing the sides of the entrance passage

101
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 54, The walls of the antechamber

Plate 55, The eastern wall Plate 56, The western side
of the passage leading to the Main hall of the passage leading to the Main Hall

102
 Plate 57, South wall (Eastern side)

Plate 58, Lower register of the South wall (eastern side)

103
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 59, South wall (western side)

Plate 60, South wall ( western side ) focusing on Mry rc who is being held
on the shoulders of his friends as he is being rewarded by the king

104
 Plate 61, West wall

Plate 62, West wall focusing on the King and the Queen in their chariots

105
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 63, West wall focusing on the registers

behind the Royal couple which represent their four eldest daughters

Plate 64, West wall focusing on the palace at the back of the scene

106
 Plate 65, West wall focusing on the Temple of Aton to which the Royal
family is heading and the attendants who are waiting for the arrival of the
king, Mry Ra is among those.

Plate 66, West wall focusing on the attitudes taken

by the attendants waiting before the temple

107
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 67, West wall focusing on the gate way to the temple

Plate 68, Jambs and lentil of the doorway leading to the second hall

108
Plate 69, North wall ( east side)

Plate 70, East wall

109
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 71, upper register of the East wall

Plate 72, East wall( upper register) focusing on the soldiers

and charioteers waiting for the Royal family to finish their visit

110
 Plate 72, East wall( upper register)
focusing on the interior of the temple

Plate 73 East wall( lower register)

focusing on the Royal family under Aton rewarding Mry ra

111
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 74, East wall( lower register)

focusing on the palace garden

112
Tomb of Penthu (no.5)

Plate 75, The King and Queen rewarding Penthu

113
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Temple of Seti I At Abydos

Plate 76, First Hypostyle Hall, Southern wall, scene (1)

Plate 77, First Hypostyle Hall, Southern wall, scenes (2) and (3)

114
 Plate 78, Second Hypostyle Hall, Northern wall, scenes (1) and (2)

Plate 79, Second Hypostyle, Western wall, Between doors 1&2, 2&3

115
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 80, Second Hypostyle, Western wall, Between doors 3&4, 4&5

Plate 81, Second Hypostyle, Western wall, Between doors 5&6, 6&7

116
 Plate 82, Hall of Osiris, West wall ( scenes 1, 2 &3)

Plate 83, Corridor of Kings, showing the cartouches of 76 kings

117
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Plate 84, Corridor of Kings, Scene of Seti I and Ramesses II holding the Bull

Plate 85, Corridor of Kings, Scene of Seti I and Ramesses

118
119
TOMBS & TEMPLES

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Allen, J.P., ‘The High Officials of the Early Middle Kingdom’, ThNec.
(2003), 14-20
Arnold, Di., The Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egyptian Architeture, (London,
2003).
Assmann, J., ‘Death and Initiation in the Funerary Religion of Ancient
Egypt’, Religion and philosophy in Ancient Egypt ( 1989), 53-
60.
Bourriau, J.D., Pharaohs and Mortals: Egyptian art in the Middle Kingdom,
(Cambridge, 1988).
Brand, P., The Monuments of Seti I, ( Leiden, 2000).
Davies,N.de G., The rock Tombs of El Amarna. 6vols, (London, 1903-08).
Davies,N.de G., Birds and Bats at Beni Hassan, JEA 35( 1949), 13-20.
Davies, N.M., Ancient Egyptian Paintings, ( Chicago, 1936).
Decker, W., Sports and Games in Ancient Egypt, (Yale, 1992).
Dodson, A.M., Egyptian Rock- cut tombs, (Princes Risborough, 1991).
Dodson, A.M.,’ The so-called Tomb of Osiris at Abydos’, Kmt 8/4 ( 1997-
98), 37-47.
Dodson and Ikram, The tomb in Ancient Egypt,( Cairo, 2008).
Franke, D. ‘The Career of Knumhotep III of Beni Hassan and the so-called
the Decline of the Nomarchs’, MKS (1991), 51-67.
Grajetzki, W., Burial Customs in Ancient Egypt: Life in death for rich and
poor, (London, 2003).
Griffiths, J. G., The Origins of Osiris and His Cult, (Leiden,1980).
Kamrin, J., The Cosmos of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hassan, (London, 1999).
Menu, B., “Le Tombeau de Petosiris’, BIFAO 94 ( 1994), 311-29.
Naville, E., The Cemeteries of Abydos, (London , 1914).
Newberry and Griffith, Beni Hassan, 4vols, (London, 1893-4).
Zayed, A. el H., Abydos, (Cairo, 1963).

120
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Helwan University 2 nd Year Guidance

Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management Time: Two Hours
2010-2011

Archaeology Final Exam

Students should answer ALL FOUR Questions
Question One: (35 marks)
A) The Temples of Abu Simbel exist nowadays due to the combined
efforts of both ancient and modern architects.
1) DISCUSS how the temples were saved. (7 marks)
2) COMPARE between the SOUTHERN temple of ABU SIMBEL and
the temple of SETI I (starting from the façade built by Seti I till its
shrines). (20 marks)
B) IDENTIFY the following figure and discuss its plan and decoration
(8 marks)

Question Two: (15 marks)

Discuss: (for 5 marks each)
A) The Scenes of the Burial chamber of Royal Tomb.
B) The Plan of the Tomb of Mry Ra
C) The Abydos Tablet.

Question Three: (10 marks)

Choose the CORRECT answer: (for one mark each):
1. The Southern Cemetery of the necropolis of Abydos was used during
the -----
a. Prehistoric times c. Middle Kingdom
b. First Intermediate period d. New Kingdom
P.T.Oˆ
2. The Oryx nome is known in hieroglyphics as ---------------
a. T3 wnt b. Wni c. M3 hdj d. Inpwt

126 121
 TOMBS & TEMPLES

3. The Total number of decorated tombs at Beni Hassan are ------------

a. 4 b. 39 c. 900 d. 12
4. Petosiris built his tomb for himself------
a. and his brother b. and his father c. and his son d. all the above
5. The tomb of Khnumhotep is famous for its -----------------
a. Wrestling scenes
b. Acrobat scenes
c. Trading scenes
d. Agricultural scenes
6. The Tomb of -------------- at Tell el Amarna contains a scene showing blind
musicians.
a. Huya b. Royal tomb c. Pentu d. Mry Ra
7. The tomb of Bakhet at Beni Hassan contains --------------- burial shafts.
a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 7
8. Ramesses II made ---------- alterations throughout the temple of Seti I.
a. Three b. Four c. Five d. Six
0. The necropolis of Akhetaton contains------------------ tombs.
a. 23 b. 24 c. 25 d. 26
10. El Ashmounin is the capital of the-----------------nome.
a. Oryx b. Hare c. Jackal d. none of the above

Question Four: (10 marks)

Explain the following: (for 2 marks each):
1. The rdw-n-ntr-c3
2. The w3t ntr
3. Wskht khcyt
4. Um el Gaab
5. T-3 dsr
Good Luck

122 127
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Helwan University
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, 2011-2012
2 nd Year Guidance (New system) Two Hours
Archaeology Final Exam
Students should answer ALL Questions

• Question One: (16 marks)

The Temple of Seti I was finished by his son and successor Ramesses II,
Draw and Discuss the Additions and Alterations that Ramesses II made
throughout the temple.

• Question Two: (22 marks)

a) Scenes 1 and 2 are from two different tombs, identify these tombs and
Explain the scenes.
b) Compare between the two tombs.
Scene 1 Scene 2

• Question Three: (10 marks)

Choose the CORRECT answer: (for one mark each)
1. Cave of Artimes was built during the reigns of -----------------
a. Tuthmosis II and Hatshepsut
b. Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II
c. Seti I and Ramesses II P.T.O.
d. Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III

128 123
TOMBS & TEMPLES

2. The 16th nome of Upper Egypt is known in hieroglyphics as-------

a. T3 wnt b. Wni c. M3 hdj d. Inpwt

3. The Total number of pits at the necropolis of Beni Hassan are-------

a . 800 b. 39 c. 900 d. 12

4. The Northern Cemetery of the necropolis of Abydos was used during

a.Prehistoric times c. Middle Kingdom

b. First Intermediate period d. New Kingdom

5. The number of attempts made to enlarge the Royal Tomb were------

a. Two b. Three c. Four d. Five

6. The tomb no. ----------- at Beni Hassan doesn’t contain a shrine.

a. 2 b. 3 c. 15 d. 17

7. The Tomb of -------------- at Tell el Amarna contains events that

never

appeared elsewhere.

a. Huya b. Royal tomb c. Pentu d. Mry Ra

8. The façade of the Southern temple of Ramesses II measures----------

a. 33x 38m b. 30x 13m c. 20m d. 30x 50m

9. The Tomb of Pentu is in a bad condition nowadays because of-----

a. it’s hollowing technique b. the followers of Amen c. being used

as a dwelling place d. All the above

10. King Ramesses II finished his temples of Abu Simbel during his------
reignal year.
a. 20th b. 30th c. 35th d. none of the above

124 129
TOMBS & TEMPLES

• Question Four : (10 marks)

Discuss the decoration of: ( for 5 marks each)
a) The room Alpha of the Royal tomb
b) The fa• ade of the tomb of P3-di-wsir.

• Question Five : (12 marks)

Explain the following: ( for 2 marks each)

1. Mixed iconography
2. Kom es-sultan temple
3. Hypogeum
4. El wadi
5. Abydos Tablet
6. Wskht hbyt

Good Luck
DR. Manal B. Hammad

130 125
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Helwan University May 2013

Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, 4/6/2013
2 nd Year Guidance (New curriculum) Two Hours
2 pages 70 Marks
Archaeology Final Exam
Students should answer ALL Questions

• Question One: (24 marks)

Temple of Seti I at Abydos is considered to be one of the unique temples

that date back to the 19th dynasty. It was made for all Gods and
Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt. It was finished by Ramesses II.

A) State the features that made this temple unique and different. (4
marks)

B) Explain the different halls that were built especially for worshipping
different Gods and for the Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt.
(14marks)

C) King Ramesses II adopted a different style in the temple of Abydos

other than that of his father. Discuss the Alterations he made,
explaining his style. (6 marks)

• Question Two: (16 marks)

A) Compare between the tombs of Kheti and Amenemhat (Differences

and Similarities) (10 marks)

B) Explain the term “Mixed Iconography” discussing the scenes where

it is

126 131
TOMBS & TEMPLES

represented. (6 marks)

• Question Three: (10 marks)

Explain the following terms: (2 marks each)
1. Rdw n ntr c3 2. Agoura 5. Screen walls
3. Bk hn t 4. Ishe d Tree
• Question Four : (10 marks)
Choose the correct answer
1. The roof of the Temple of Abydos is reached from the
a. 1st Hypostyle hall b. Western passage
c. Hall of Boats d. 2nd Hypostyle hall

2. Tombs of Beni Hassan all show wrestling scenes except for the tomb
of
a. Baket III b. Kheti
c. Ameni d. Khnumhotep II

3. The Northern cemetery in the necropolis of Abydos dates back to the

a. Prehistoric times b. First Intermediate period
c. Middle Kingdom d. New Kingdom

4. Some tombs at the site of Beni Hassan and Tell el Amarna were
used as dwelling places these are
a. Khnumhotep II & Penthu b. Kheti & Mryra
c. Ameni & Penthu d. None of the above

P.T.O.

132 127
TOMBS & TEMPLES

5. In the Royal tomb, one hall was not originally intended for burial
a. Room Alpha b. Room Beta
c. Room Gama d. Well Room

6. The four statues in the sanctuary of the Great Temple are

a Ramesses II, Osiris, AmunRa, Ptah b. Ramesses II, Ptah, AmunRa,
Horus,
c. Ramesses II, Sokar, Ptah, Osiris d. Ramesses II, Ptah, Rahorakhtey,
AmunRa

7. Cave of Artimes contains scenes that mainly depicts

a. Hatshepsut & Tuthmosis III b. Hatshepsut & Seti I
c. Tuthmosis III & Seti I d. Hatshepsut &Tuthmosis II

8. The Tomb of Isadora is famous for its

a. mixed iconography b. Greek papyri
c. scenery d. All the Above

9. The Title of Mryra was

a. Stewart of Queen Tiye b. Royal Scribe
c. High priest of Aton d. Chief Physician

10. The Northern suburb at Akhetaton contains

a. administrative & official buildings b. huge gardens & pools

c. residential houses & merchants quarter d. palaces of the royal family

128 133
TOMBS & TEMPLES

• Question Five: (10 marks)

A) Explain the scene; giving its exact location (5marks)
B) Draw and Discuss the interior design of each location. (5 marks)

Good Luck
DR. Manal B. Hammad

134 129
TOMBS & TEMPLES

Helwan University
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, 20/5/2014
2 nd Year Guidance (New curriculum) Two Hours
2 pages 70 Marks
Archaeology (2) Final Exam
Students should answer ALL Questions
• Question One: (24 marks)
Temple of Seti I at Abydos is considered to be one of the finest temples
that date back to the 19th dynasty.
A) Ramesses II left only one wall unaltered in its main axis, Discuss its
scenes. (6 marks)
B) Compare between Southern temple of Abu Simbel and that of Seti I
starting from his façade till its shrines (10marks)
C) Draw and Discuss the temple axis that runs from North to South .
(8marks)

• Question Two: (24 marks)

A) Compare between two tombs used as a dwelling place (10 marks)
B) Explain the scenes that decorated the part of the Royal tomb that was
added during the 12th regnal year of Akhenaton. (8 marks )
C) Explain the scene giving its Exact location. (6 marks)

130 135
TOMBS & TEMPLES

a) b)
• Question Three: (12 marks)
Explain the following terms: (2 marks each)
2.r-pr 2. Kom es-sultan 5. Hermopolis Magna
3. wsxt xayt 4. MA xD 6. Cavetto cornice

• Question Four : (10 marks)

Choose the correct answer
11. Goddess Pakhet is the P.T.O
b. Hunteress b. Protecteress
c. goddess of storms d. all the above

12. The Tomb of Khnumhotep II depicted the Asiatics who came to

Egypt during thr reign of
c. Amenemhat I b. Senusert I
c. Amenemhat II d. Senusert II
13. TA Dsr was used during
a. New Kigdom to Roman Empire b. Middle Kingdom
c. Archaic Period to Old Kingdom d. All the Above
14. In the Necropolis of el Ashmounien there is /are
a. a Basilica b. Temple of Thoth
c. 60 funerary houses d. all the above
15. The façade of the Northern temple of Ramesses II measured
a. 60x14m b. 40x30m
c. 30x13 d. 11x16m
16. Huya was rewarded by a new title given to him by Akhenaton

136 131
TOMBS & TEMPLES

a. Overseer of the Royal Hareem b. Overseer of the Treasury

c. First under the King d. Stewart of Queen Tiye
17. Cave of Artimes contains inscriptions dating back to
a. Hatshepsut b. Seti I
c. Tuthmosis III d. Hatshepsut &Tuthmosis III
18. The calendar appeared in the tomb of
a. Ameni b. Khnumhotep II
c. Baket III d. Kheti
Good Luck
DR. Manal B. Hammad

19. The Tomb of P3-di-wsir was inscribed by his autobiography which

mainly mentioned
a. The reign of Ptolemy I b. The Persian rule
c. His expedition to Kush d. The reign of Hadrian

20. The Southern suburb at Akhetaton contained

a. administrative & official buildings b. huge gardens & pools
c. residential houses & merchants quarter d. palaces of the royal family

132 137
Helwan University 2 nd Year Guidance (New curriculum)
Faculty of Tourism Time: Two Hours 70 Marks
and Hotel Management June 2015 2 pages

Ancient Egyptian Archaeology (2) Final Exam

Students should answer ALL QuestionsPart One
Question One: (20 marks)
A) Identify the Exact location of the scenes below and Describe each of them.
(4marks)

B) Compare between the Two tombs which contain those scenes. (12 marks)

C) Write short notes about the Site where those tombs are located. (4 marks)
Scene 1 Scene 2

Question Two: (20 marks)

A) King Seti I built his temple for worshipping All Gods of Upper and Lower Egypt,
however Gods Osiris and Ptah-Sokar, Nefertum were greatly worshipped in
the temple.

( i) Explain the reasons why Seti I built his temple and why he choose this
Partic ular location. (2 marks)

(ii) Draw and Discuss the Plan and Scenes of the places where those Gods
were particularly worshipped. (8 marks)

B) Ramesses II visited the temple of his father to find it incomplete.

(i) Draw and discuss the Additions made by Ramesses II in the temple (6
marks)

133
TOMBS & TEMPLES

(ii) Describe the Scenes in the temple that announce Ramesses II as the heir
to the throne of his father, mentioning their exact location (4 marks)

P.T.O--------È

Question Three: (12 marks)

Explain the following: (2 marks each)

1.Um el Gaab 2. Rdw-n-nTr-aA 5. Hall of boats

3. Bxnt 4. Xmn 6. Pakhet

Question Four: (10 marks)

Fill in the Blanks

1.Ramesses II built the temples of Abu Simbel during his ---------- reignal year and
it took them ------------years to finish them

2. The Egyptian Government chooses the -------------- proposal which was to cut
the temple into----------- pieces and They also build a --------------- above
eachtemple to protect it.

3. The Northrern temple was built to worship ------------------- and it consists of

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------.

4. The Tomb of Khnumhotep II dates back to the reign of--------------------. It is

the only tomb that doesnÕ t contain ------------------------ scenes.

5. The Royal Tomb was structured to contain a------------------- before its burial
chamber to-------------------------------------------------.

Question Five: (8 marks)

Give Reasons for

1. The Tomb of PA-di-wsir is of great importance.

2. Wsxt Xayt has opened and closed capital columns.
3. Temple of Hatshepsut at el Menya has no scenes showing her.
4. Necropolis of Beni Hassan also contains 900 pits.

Good Luck

134
Helwan University 2 nd Year Guidance (New curriculum)
Faculty of Tourism Time: Two Hours 70 Marks
and Hotel Management June 2016 2 pages

Ancient Egyptian Archaeology (2) Final Exam

Students should answer ALL Questions
Question One: (20 marks)
A) Identify the Exact location of the scenes below and Describe each of them.
(4marks)

B) Compare between the Two tombs which contain those scenes. (12 marks)

C) Write short notes about the Site where those tombs are located. (4 marks)
Scene 1 Scene 2

Question Two: (22 marks)

A) King Seti I mostly built his temple at Abydos, but it was finished and altered
by his son Ramesses II.

(i) Draw and Discuss the PLAN of the Main axis of the temple as originally
done by Seti I (7 marks)

(ii) State the Alterations that were done by Ramesses II only in the Main Access
of the temple (3 marks)

(iii) Compare the Style of Art adopted by Ramesses II to that of Seti I (2 marks)

B) Ramesses II made two temples at Abu Simble, one for himself and the other for
his wife.

(i) Explain how these temples were Saved. (4 marks)

135
TOMBS & TEMPLES
(ii) Compare between the TWO temples. (6marks)

P.T.O--------È

Question Three: (10marks)

Explain the following: (2 marks each)
1. Hypogeum 2. Hollowing technique 5. Hall of Ancestors
3. wsxt Hbyt 4. tA wnt

Question Four : (10 marks)

Fill in the Blanks

1.The tomb of Petosiris is very famous for its ------------- which means--------.The
Pronos shows-------------------scenes following the --------------------- while the Naos
shows--------------------scenes following the------------------.

2.The adjoining walls between the ---------------------- of the temple of Seti I are
decorated by scenes of the king making offerings either to-----------------------or to
---------------------- or to --------------------------, except for that of --------------------
which contains scenes of a ---------------------making offerings infront of the King.

3.The Tomb of --------------------takes a different plan than the rest of the tombs at
Akhetaton. It was made during the ------------reignal year of king -------------. The
owner of this tomb was rewarded-----------------time (s) by the king.

4.The ---------- cemetery in the necropolis of Abydos was considered the biggest
of all as it was used during the ----------------. It contains the -----------------over
looking the wadi, it means-------------------. Its main function was to ------------------

5. Cave of Artimes is exactly located ----------------------. It was built during ----------

and dedicated to the worship of----------------. It was also known as-------------------
because --------------------------------. King -----------------removed the original scenes
of the temple and added his own.

Question Five: (8 marks)

Give Reasons for
1.The existence of the well room in the plan of the Royal Tomb.
2.The wadi in the Abydos necropolis had no tombs.
3.Room Alpha wasnÕ t intended for burial.
4.The scenes on upper walls of the big hall of Osiris are the only ones damaged.
Good Luck

136
Helwan University 2 nd Year Guidance (New curriculum) 2003
Faculty of Tourism Time: Two Hours 70 Marks
and Hotel Management 25 May 2017 2 pages
Ancient Egyptian Archaeology (2) Final Exam
Students should answer ALL Questions
Question One: (21 marks)
A) Identify the Exact location of the scenes below and Describe each of them.
(5 marks)

B) Compare between the Two tombs which contain those scenes. (12 marks)

C) Write short notes about El Menya . (4 marks)

Scene 1 Scene 2

Question Two: (25 marks)

A) King Seti I not only built a temple at Abydos that was finished and altered by
his son Ramesses II. but he also added his name and scenes in the temple of
Pakhet.

(i) Draw and Discuss the PLAN of the halls that WERE NOT altered or added
by Ramesses II in the temple of Seti I. (9 marks)

(ii) Explain the SCENES covering the adjoining wall. (8 marks)

(iii) Draw and Discuss the temple of Pakhet. ( 4 marks)

B) King Ramesses II built not only built a temple for himself at Abusimbel but also
a temple for his wife as a confirmation of his eternal love for her.

Compare between the fa• ades of the two temples (4 marks)

P.T.O--------È
137
TOMBS & TEMPLES
Question Three: (8 marks)
Explain FOUR of the following: (2 marks each)
1. Greek papyri 2. Hermopolis Magna 5. st -wrt
3. bxnt 4. Cavetto cornice

Question Four: (8 marks)

Fill in the Blanks

1.The tomb of Petosiris was made for the burial of ----------------------. It dates back
to the reign of ------------- . It gives important historical facts about ---------. The
screen walls of its fa• ade show God -----------------once as an -------- and once as a
---------------.

2.The Tombs of the second category at Beni Hassan are----------and ---------. They
consist of ------------------------------------- . They both show -------------------on their
northern walls. However only the tomb of --------------- contains a shrine.

3.The kings of the First Dynasty and only kings ------------- and ------------ of the
second Dynasty built their tombs at the Area known as ---------- in the necropolis
of Abydos. It was given that name because it was-------------------- during the reigns
of --------------and ------------.

4.The Royal tomb at Akhetaton was made for the burial of ---------------, but it
received two other burials that of ------------------- and --------------------. These were
buried in the rooms ----------------- and -------------------- which were added to the
tomb during the -------------------- reignal year of the king.

Question Five : (8 marks)

Give Reasons for
1.The Tomb of Penthu is the most destroyed .
2.The Northern cemetery in the necropolis of Abydos is the largest.
3.King Seti I made his temple for all Kings and Gods
4.Some tombs of Beni Hassan has soot covering their scenes.

Good Luck

138
 Helwan University 2 nd Year Guidance (New curriculum) 2003
Faculty of Tourism Time: Two Hours 70 Marks
and Hotel Management 7 June 2018 2 pages
Ancient Egyptian Archaeology (2) Final Exam
Students should answer ALL Questions
Question One: (23marks)
A)Identify the Exact location of the scenes below and Describe each of them.
(4marks)

B) Compare between the Two tombs which contain those scenes. (12 marks)

C) Write short notes about where these tombs are located. (7 marks)
Scene 1 Scene 2

Question Two: (25marks)

A) King Seti I built a very unique impressive structure at the necropolis of Abydos
that was completed by his son Ramesses II.

(i) Give brief notes about the history and the necropolis of Abydos (9 marks)

(ii) Explain why this structure is considered to be a unique one. (3 marks)

(iii) Draw and Discuss the plan of this temple as completed by Ramesses IIuntil
the hall that included his third alteration. (5 marks)

B) Compare between the Northern temple of Abu Simble and the temple of
Pakhet (8 marks)

139
TOMBS & TEMPLES
Question Three: (6 marks)
Describe TWO of the following scenes, Draw and Discuss the plan of their
locations: (3 marks each)
A B

C D

Question Four : (8 marks)

Fill in the Blanks
1.The hall ------------contains two types of scenes. This hall is part of the --------which
forms the short leg of the temple. It contains----------- against its walls for putting
----------. It also contains a--------- that leads to the---------.

2.The Egyptian government choose the -----------------proposal were the temple

was to be cut into----------------- pieces and transferred to another location that lies
---------m. from the original site and -------------m. higher. They would built a-------
-------above the temple to protect it.

3.The court immediately before the sanctuary is the ----------------- . It is also known
in hieroglyphics as------------------. This hall resembles--------------- and its main
function is-------------------.

4.The Royal tomb is located -------------- km. up the-------------. Its entrance is facing
-------------cut in the--------------of the cliff.
Question Five : (8 marks)
Give Reasons for
1.The cave of Artemidos was given that name.
2.The name Ramesses was mentioned in the hall of Ancestors.
3.The capital of the 15thnome of Upper Egypt was given the name xmn.
4.Some tombs of Beni Hassan have a complete calendar.
Good Luck
DR. Manal B. Hammad
140
 Name :
Date :

November Assignment
Please answer the following questions on the same paper, tear and submit on due date.

COMPARE BETWEEN THE SCENES OF THE FOUR TOMBE OF BENI

HASSAN AT THE TABLE BELOW.

Tomb of Tomb of Tomb of Tomb of

Knumhotep Kheti Ameni Bakhet

West wall

North wall

East wall

South wall
 Name :
Date :

December Assignment
Please answer the following questions on the same paper, tear and submit on due date.

THE TOMBS OF TELL EL AMARNA WERE DECORATED BY CERTAIN

EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE REIGN OF AKHENATON.
DISCUSS THESE EVENTS AND MENTION THEIR EXACT TOMB AND
LOCATION.
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 Name :
Date :

February Assignment
Please answer the following questions on the same paper, tear and submit on due date.

1) DISCUSS THE MEANING OF MIXED ICONOGRAPHY

2) STATE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART

AND THE GRECO ROMAN ART.

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 Name :
Date :

March Assignment
Please answer the following questions on the same paper, tear and submit on due date.

DISCUSS THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE

TEMPLES OF ABU SIMBEL IN THE TABLES BELOW.
SIMILARITIES
GREAT TEMPLE SMALL TEMPLE

LOCATION

PLAN

DECORATION

DIFFERENCES
GREAT TEMPLE SMALL TEMPLE

LOCATION

PLAN

DECORATION
 Name :
Date :

APRIL ASSIGNMENT
Please answer the following questions on the same paper, tear and submit on due date.

DRAW AND DISCUSS THE ADDITONS AND ALTERATIONS MADE BY

RAMESSES II IN THE TEMPLE OF SETI I AT ABYDOS.

DRAWING:
DISCUSSION:
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