Temple of

Menkkheperre Akhmenu: 

Festival Temple of Tuthmosis III

Lying behind the walls that surround the barque shrine of Amen-Re and across the “central court,” an open area that probably once held the earliest temple at this site (plundered no doubt for its stone in antiquity), is the well preserved Festival Temple of Tuthmosis III.  Tuthmosis built this complex for himself and probably for his cult.  He called the structure the “Most Glorious of Monuments” (Akhmenu), and it is believed to stand on the site of a brick enclosure of an older sanctuary for Nun, the god of the primeval waters.


    The entrance was originally flanked by two statues of Tuthmosis in festival attire and is in the structures southwest corner.  This entrance leads to store rooms on the right and to the temples’ columned hall on the left.  The hall shows three aisles or naves on a south to north orientation and is supported around its perimeter by an aisle of square pillars.  What is of interest are the pillars of the central section, twenty in number, which are of a particular type.  These are thought to imitate ancient tent poles and there are no other known examples of this type.  The cylindrical shafts, which are painted a red color, flare
out just above five painted bands of yellow and blue and support a capital appearing to be a flower bud showing large triangular leaves.

    These tent poles should not be confused with tent pegs as many publications refer to them. The poles most likely symbolize the military tents that would have been so familiar to Tuthmosis III, the great warrior pharaoh.  This architecture may also be reminiscent of ancient religious booth structures but given all the associations, the tent idea is most likely.  Near the tops of several of the columns one can see the remains of icons that date from the early Christian period when the structure was used as a church.

    The painted inscription, which runs around the lintel atop the outer wall, tells us that:

   

    He (Tuthmosis III) has created as his monument to his father Amen-Re, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, the act of raising for him a hrt-ib (central hall of a temple), as something new, in beautiful white sandstone.


    Other roof supports contain the royal names and titles of Tuthmosis III.  It has been pointed out that this structure may in fact reproduce the hrt-ib of the Middle Kingdom temple that once stood on this site.  The usual location of this type of Middle Kingdom structure would have been behind the innermost shrine, the Holy of Holies, and behind the sanctuary of the barque from which the name itself literally, “hall of the center” (i.e. heart, ib in Middle Egyptian), is derived. 

    Additional chambers in the structure include a “chamber of the kings” where Tuthmosis had the kings of Upper and Lower Egypt listed in a king list (now residing in the Louvre Museum in Paris); a suite of rooms dedicated to the underworld god Sokar; rooms to the morning manifestation of the sun god, Khepri, and to the god Amen.  Farther back, in the
vestibule of this temple, is the famous “Botanical Room” with representations of the flora and fauna that Tuthmosis encountered on his foreign campaigns.  The east wall of the botanical room has the entire representation introduced by an inscription carved in the north east corner as follows:


    Year 25, under the majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Menkheperre, forever living, plants that His Majesty has found in the land of Retenu (Syria).


    The walls at the back of the Tuthmosis complex are quite broken down, but this is an area of importance that should not be passed by.  As travelers exit they have an opportunity to examine the niche shrines built against the temple’s back wall.  It is here that the people of Thebes of old brought their petitions to the great gods that were within the temple city.  These chapels are built into the outer walls of the temple and are referred to as “chapels of the hearing ear.”  These structures could contain a statue of the main god of the temple or perhaps just a carved pair of ears to represent the god.  In general the average person was not allowed to enter the temple, not being of a pure nature.  These back doors, so to speak, then gave an opportunity for some form of access to the sanctuary.  The oldest one still surviving was built by Tuthmosis III and holds alabaster statues of the king and of Amen.  Often priests would sit in the hollow between the walls and listen through small holes to the pleas of the petitioners.  On occasion, the priest might offer up an oracle to the petitioner on the gods’ behalf reminding people of the ever present nature of the god!  A bit farther to the east, towards the enclosure wall, is a small “hearing ear chapel” built by Ramesses II for the same purpose. 

    From this point the east gate of the Karnak complex can be seen, and imposing it is, measuring some 20 meters in height, built by king Nectanebo I.   As you approach this gate turn your attention to the north to see the small temple built in the 22nd dynasty by king Osorkon IV.  This is the temple dedicated to Osiris Heka-Djet, “Ruler of Eternity” and the temple we will consider next.