top of page

Chapels southwest of the enclosure wall of the main Ptolemaic temple

To the south and south-west of the enclosure wall of the main Ptolemaic temple is a group of cult buildings. Bruyère called these buildings Chapelle Votive. Many of them were situated on the lower slopes of the cliff, while others were on a narrow terrace cut into the rock at a higher level.
My aim was to compare Ann Bomann's plans and detailed descriptions, based on her text published in 1991 pp. 40-44 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 page.
Luxor_4802-474x352.jpg
Chapelle Votive 1

This chapel stood to the south-west of the main enclosure wall. Its long axis ran parallel to the wall. It lies on the level valley floor just before the escarpment to the sheer cliffs rising to the west. Its sanctuary lay to the north-west.
01.jpg
02.jpg
The structure included a forecourt, outer and inner halls, a pronaos and sanctuary, and a side annex. The length of the building, including the forecourt, was approximately 19.15 metres. The mud bricks had an average size of 33x15x9 cm.
The forecourt had two entrances to the north, one to the south and possibly one to the east.
The outer hall was reduced in size to that of the inner hall and appears to form an antechamber to the latter. The inner hall had two benches against the north and south walls. The northern bench was 39 centimetres deep, 30 centimetres high and 3.03 metres long. The south bench was half as long. According to the plans, 12 limestone seats were originally set into the benches, 7 to the north and 6 to the south. According to Ann Bomann, some of these seats could be the ones now in the Turin Museum. They are inscribed in ink or engraved with the names of workers from the village.
03.jpg
04.jpg
Beyond the inner hall were the pronaos and the sanctuary. The pronaos measured 4.40x2 metres. Its entrance wall consisted of a single layer of mud brick divided by a doorway consisting of 2 pillars and a step. The sanctuary had three niches and benches against the back walls.
05.jpg
06.jpg
The area viewed from the west
On the south or left side of the chapel there was an annex that could be entered from the forecourt, the outer and inner halls and the sanctuary.
The annexe was divided into 3 sections with interconnecting doors.
07.jpg
08.jpg
Chapelle Votive 2

This chapel was located to the southwest of Chapelle Votive 1, with its sanctuary to the west. Only the shell of the building remains. The structure includes an irregularly shaped forecourt, outer and inner halls, a pronaos and a sanctuary.
A series of terraces and stairs led to the forecourt. There was a rectangular pit in the outer hall. These features could be of the foundations of some earlier houses or chapels dating from the 18th century.
Bonnet and Valbelle excavated houses to the south of this chapel. The houses were dated to Tuthmosis I (1524-1518 BC).
The inner hall had 2 jar placements near the north wall. There were no benches in either hall.
The pronaos was entered by 4 steps set between balustrades. At the southern end there was a sunken rectangular area. The sanctuary was asymmetrically divided into a large and a small section.
10.jpg
12.jpg
09.jpg
The area is dotted with burial shafts. Their connection with Chapelle Votive is not proven. Remains of the foundations of earlier houses and/or chapels from the 18th dynasty can also be found here.
11.jpg
Photography © Lenka Peacock 2007
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.
 
Further bibliography
bottom of page