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The chapels and shrines of Deir el-Medina

The Chapel of Seti, situated to the north of the enclosure wall of the main temple of Hathor, was first excavated by Schiaparelli in 1906. Baraize excavated a small chapel inside the northwest corner of the enclosure wall in 1912. The main work was carried out by Bruyère between 1922 and 1951. Bruyère was able to identify 32 cult buildings apart from the temple of Hathor.

The cult buildings excavated by Bruyère varied in plan from a small courtyard in front of a shrine, in several cases cut into the rock, to the usual tripartite plan, with or without benches, and finally to what he classified as miniature temples. The terminology used for these varied from Temple, Chapelle, Chapelle Votive, Chapelles des Confrèries, Chapelle Religieuse. The layout of each building was determined by the nature of the cult that was practised in it.


Ann Bomann was able to re-examine 27 of the cult buildings at Deir el-Medina in the last quarter of the 20th century. Her results were published in 1991. Bomann found that Bruyère had reconstructed most of the structures during excavation. She found that while the intention to preserve the buildings was laudable, it was difficult to assess certain parts of the buildings because the reconstruction was not properly distinguished from the original structure. She found that many of the walls and staircases had been completely rebuilt, in some cases using material from another part of the chapel. For example, bricks from vaulted ceilings were reused to fill in stairways. This was evident in the Temple of Hathor of Seti I. Bomann noted at the time that much of Bruyère's reconstruction was in a state of disrepair, with walls and staircases collapsing in many of the buildings. None of the original floors were visible, having been covered with gravel and sand. Features such as sunken column bases, ovens and basins, which were shown on earlier plans, had either disappeared or been moved. Very little of the original plasterwork and murals mentioned in Bruyère's accounts survived.

I have tried to compare Ann Bomann's plans and detailed descriptions, based on her text published in 1991 pp. 39-51 with the remains of the cult buildings at Deir el-Medina in February 2007. The results, together with photographs, can be found on the following pages.

Luxor 361.jpg
Chapels within the
temple enclosure wall

The second group of religious
structures is to be found within
the enclosure wall of the main
Ptolemaic temple at Deir el-Medina.
Luxor_479-350x254.jpg
Chapels southwest of the
temple enclosure wall

The fourth group of cult buildings
is located to the southwest of the
main temple. Most of these
structures were called Chapelle
Votive by Bruyère.
Chapels north of the temple
enclosure wall

The first group of the chapels at
Deir el-Medina lay to the north of
the enclosure wall of the main
Ptolemaic temple. The chapel area
covers the slope which rises gently
to the steep cliffs to the west.
Luxor_395-349x256.jpg
Chapels east of the temple
enclosure wall

Another group of cult structures is
located to the east of the
enclosure wall of the main Ptolemaic
temple. The remains of a Ramesside
chapel are to be found here.
Luxor_4802-474x352.jpg
Sources:
1. Bomann, Ann H.: The private chapel in ancient Egypt : a study of the chapels in the workmen's village at el Amarna with special reference to Deir el-Medina and other sites.
London : Kegan Paul International, 1991.
2. Wilkinson, R. H. : The complete temples of Ancient Egypt.London : Thames & Hudson, 2000.
3. Clayton, Peter A.: Chronicles of the Pharaohs : the reighn-by-reign record of the rulers and dynasties of ancient Egypt
London : Thames & Hudson, 1994.
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