Hatshepsut's Temple, Upper Terrace and Court in LEGO

Here is a selection of photographs of a reconstruction of parts of Hatshepsut's temple (Upper Terrace and Court) i made out of Lego. This was something i wanted to do for a while- and finally had the opportunity recently. Those of you who follow the Hatshepsut Project on Facebook will be familiar already with these.

Here i settled on a scale which allows me to show the central path from Upper Terrace doorway (where the 2 Lego men stand guard) to the Sanctuary entrance (large yellow doorway). The red bricks are there purely to keep my focus on a symmetrical look- a guideline.

The rear wall or "Western Wall" at the back of the Upper Court. This is the southern (left) side. A deliberate attempt was made to look like an archaeological work in progress.

Aerial view of the progress.The roof of the Upper Terrace is partially reconstructed. The relationships between the western wall and the Upper Terrace are being worked on- so to be as true as possible as the appear today.

Turned 180 degrees we now look from rear to front. The rear wall is complete with 9 niches each side of the Sanctuary entrance. In yellow brick, the remains of original 18th dynasty architectural elements plus guidelines for 2 walls which will soon connect the rear wall with the Upper Terrace, enclosing the Upper Court as a rectangular area, originally full of columns.

The red bricks now go beyond the Sanctuary door (top of picture) to allow for a reconstruction of the sanctuary itself. Four plinths can now be seen on the northern (right) side of the Upper Terrace for the display of heads. The Upper Terrace roof is complete.

Front view of the Western Wall with its tall and low niches. Atop is a suggestion of the wall which now protects the temple from rock fall from the cliffs above.

 The Sanctuary plus part of the Ptolomaic porch outside the sanctuary entrance, have been added.

The walls which connect the Western Wall to the Upper Terrace has been added, including doorways and niche. On the opposite side, a similar wall with doors has been started.

The final view. Osiride statues and heads have now been added

Regards,

Stuart.

Hatshepsut Sphinxes - and then there were two...

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Originally uploaded by Bobonacus
Continuing work on the Hatshepsut sphinxes at Deir el Bahri.
It will be interesting to see how many are restored in the future and where they will be displayed.

Regards,
Stuart

Divine Birth and Coronation Inscriptions of Hatshepsut

Article from milestonedocuments.com:


"Divine Birth and Coronation Inscriptions of Hatshepsut"

Commentary by T. Musacchio, John Jay College, CUNY

Regards,

Stuart

 

MMA Podcast - Hatshepsut

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be one of the leading Museums in the Hatshepsut Project for their superb collection of Hatshepsut statues and artifacts. The acquisition of these artifacts was not by chance, of course. Working on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Deir el Bahri would be teams led by one Mr Herbert Winlock.

The information uncovered by Winlock's excavations would increase our understanding of Hatshepsut and indeed Thutmose III, but for differing reasons. It would be the uncovering of thousands upon thousands of statue fragments which would be the main focal point. Here is where the podcast takes over:


http://www.metmuseum.org/rss/exhibitionpodcast.xml

Regards,
Stuart

Deir el Bahri 1915/1917 - Swansea Museum Archives

Swansea Museum's website (Egypt Centre) has a number of photos taken between the years 1915-1917 by L.Sgt. Johnston of Carmarthen. One such photograph is of a soldier standing on the second (middle) terrace at Deir el Bahri.

Long before much of the restoration work we see the benefits of today, the upper terrace appears almost too be non-existent. It is there, just in thousands of fragments, yet to be reconstructed. The second photo, underneath the black and white photo shows the upper terrace proudly reconstructed, as with the stairs leading up to it.

Photographs like these are extremely valuable to researchers. I wish to thank those at Swansea Museum for making the above photo, plus these photographs of Egypt during 1915-1917.

Regards,
Stuart

Heidelberg University - Deir el Bahri

If all goes well, this will be the first of many posts which be available to view on Twitter.

"Deir el Bahri - Documents Topographiques, Historiques Et Ethnographiques
Recuellis Dans Ce Temple..."

Auguste Mariette- Bay

Here are some beautiful Plates available free to download from Heidelberg University. Very well drawn plans and copied wall reliefs from Deir El Bahri. Plate 3 shows a fantistic reconstruction of Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple. Please be sure to mention Heidelberg University if you use this information in the future.

CLICK HERE for the free download. 

Stuart Tyler

Deir el Bahri Photo - Lower Anubis Chapel

This photo was sent to me by Nebojsa Milosevic (a follower of the Hatshepsut Project and author of a blog on Cleopatra) and shows an area of the Lower Anubis Chapel.

The frieze at the top of the photo appears as a cryptogram (see Rebus) of the throne name of Hatshepsut, Maat-Ka-Re.

Below the frieze appears the vulture goddess Nekhbet, patron of Upper Egypt.

Lastly at the bottom of the picture we see the winged sun disc (Behdety).

All of the above show their original colour in spectacular fashion. Years of cleaning and restoration work makes this possible. Work which is still being undertaken today.

Thank you Nebojsa (Englez) for this and the other photos you kindly sent to me. I will include the others as i go.

Regards,
Stuart

Hatshepsut - Nebty and Golden Horus Names

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Originally uploaded by kairoinfo4u

There are many hundreds of blocks laying patiently at Deir el Bahri for their turn to be re-integrated back into the temples therein.

This particular example shows two of Hatshepsut's names which have previously not been mentioned before on this blog.

Nebty Name - Wadjrenput (Flourishing of Years)

Golden Horus Name - Netjeretkhau (Divine of Appearances)

Thank you to Kairoinfo4u for the photo.

Regards,
Stuart

Hatshepsut - NYPL Digital Gallery

The NYPL Digital Gallery is a fantastic online photographic archive. I spent hours just looking at their Karnak archive last night and only viewed approximately a quarter of their archive. Either as an excellent study resource or just an amazing gallery of old depictions of Egypt i recommend a visit.

The link is to their Deir el Bahri collection, but feel free to browse their archive for your own interests.

Stuart

Hatshepsut Punt Relief - Brussels

Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels

This is just one of the fragments from Deir el Bahri housed outside Egypt, but known to Egyptology

Although not in-situ, fragments like these can be used when piecing together the walls of Hatshepsut's mortuary temple. Exact replicas can be made and integrated into the temple walls.

From the Punt Colonnade, originally. The photograph comes from the Global Egyptian Museum's website. they have a great collection of Egyptian artifacts and are well worth the visit.

Regards,
Stuart

Hatshepsut - Visible Cartouche at Deir el Bahri - Part 3

Unintentionally, i have been looking for cartouches at Deir el Bahri which are still visible today.

The Lower Chapel of Anubis at Deir el Bahri has an example of a pillar which has both the nomen and praenomen (see definitions, below) of Hatshepsut. Highlighted on Maat-Ka-Ra-Hatschepsut (Dr.Karl Leser), this area is described in detail and includes a photo to show the cartouches. I have yet to find a similar photo outside of Dr. Leser's site, so i suggest to go there for more information.

Please click the above link and use the site-map to find the Lower Chapel of Anubis (middle terrace).

Also for definitions of Ancient Egyptian titulary, Wikipedia is worth visiting

With thanks again to Dr Leser.

Regards,
Stuart

Hatshepsut - "New Sphinx" at Deir el Bahri

Deir el Bahri finally has a sphinx on display. I find this photo really exciting. On recent visit to Deir el Bahri, Dr Karl Leser took this photo and was kind enough to pass this photo on to me - with permission to use it on this blog.

From the picture, we are able to see that a number of fragmented pieces have been brought together to recreate this "new sphinx". Currently it is housed at Deir el Bahri in the stone garden next to the temple of Thutmose III. In the future, perhaps it may be integrated into the area of Hatshepsuts mortuary temple - although that is pure guesswork on my part.

For those who have visited or studied Hatshepsuts temple - we know for sure that a number of sphinxes graced the temple. Today there are none on site, but there are (restored and fragmented) Hatshepsut sphinxes in museums. One on site (at Deir el Bahri) would be a wonderful inclusion.

I hope we will find out more in time. Should you have any further information, then i would love to hear from you.

Thanks to Dr. Karl Leser for kindly sharing this photograph with us.

Regards,
Stuart

Warsaw University's Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology in Cairo

My last post "Deir el Bahri 1962" touched on the work done at Deir el Bahri from 1961- present.

The link i posted is excellent. More importantly- it is their site which is excellent. There are a number of downloadable PDF files which I've been able to view and print which i would like to share.

Rather than a great list of links, i will include links to PDFs to highlight specific areas of (restoration/ conservation/ cleaning/ study, etc) work which will aid my/ your understanding of the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut.

I have yet to look at all the available documents, although i will print every available document and save the links for a "rainy day".

Whilst i am sorting through the documentation i have accrued - i would like to share the following link, which comes directly from the Warsaw University site:

Deir el Bahri by Zbigniew E. Szafrański (follow the link then click "Deir el Bahri" on the right hand side of the screen). The PDF is in English.

More links will follow. I feel that it is important to hear directly from those "in the field" and this short Wikipedia Article confirms who Zbigniew E. Szafrański is.

This very well written article and the others that i will share should prove to be invaluable to gathering information on Deir el Bahri. I look forward to spending some time looking through the many other documents i have been able to locate.

Regards,
Stuart

Deir el Bahri 1962

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Originally uploaded by risotto al caviale

This is the type of photograph that really makes it all worth while to me.

In 1961 (as i look at page 293 of Hatshepsut- from Queen to Pharaoh), Deir el Bahri was to be taken under the wing of the Warsaw University's Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology in Cairo.

During 1961, restoration work began on the Upper Terrace (pictured). The wooden scaffolding has been built so that the Ptolemaic Portico can be restored to its present day condition.

Restoration, conservation and study continues at Deir el Bahri today (by Warsaw University). Hatshepsut's mortuary temple has been very well cared for. It can be too easy to take for granted the work that goes on "behind the scenes" in Egypt. Deir el Bahri suffered over the years, but today "she" can be considered one of the most inspiring of all the many sites in Egypt.

Regards,
Stuart

Hatshepsut - Visible Cartouche at Deir el Bahri - Part 2

Hatshepsut Djeser-djesru 3470
Originally uploaded by kairoinfo4u

Looking through thousands of photos can sometimes be unrewarding. Some days however, patience is rewarded.

Kairoinfo4u provides a photo which shows at first glance the throne name of Thutmose II, "Aakheperenre". However on closer inspection it seems that the name of Thutmose II was carved over an earlier cartouche.

Now, with the photo enlarged we clearly see "Maatkara" which we know to be the Prenomen (throne name) of Hatshepsut.

Whilst not a surprise to see the name of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahri (another was mentioned in a previous post) this is the first time i have been able to read her name under that of another (in this case, her husand).

I cannot give an exact location for this cartouche, but will if let you know if that changes.

Regards,
Stuart

Deir el Bahri - Senseneb

http://www.metmuseum.org/Imageshare/eg/large/INST.1979.2.30_chr.jpg

Thanks to Debbie for the information about watercolour paintings at the MMA. This is the second of the Howard Carter Deir el Behri watercolours which i have been able to locate pictures of. One thing that strikes me about the 2 featured so far is the quality.

Until today, the name of Senseneb/ Seniseneb was unknown to me. Often my posts are written like this - literally as i find out something new and useful- it appears here.

Having referred to Dr Leser's site and also Anneke Bart's site, as well of course as the source of the picture, the MMA (linked above) - the name of Sen(i)seneb will be an important part of the Hatshepsut jigsaw.

Sen(i)seneb is the mother of Thutmose I, grandmother of Hatshepsut. Although very early days, i have yet to find out much about her, except for her appearance at Deir el Bahri and her relationship to Hatshepsut. If i can find out more, i will post my findings at a later date.

Regards,
Stuart

Hatshepsut - Visible Cartouche at Deir el Bahri

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Originally uploaded by kairoinfo4u

Something i will look out for during my next visit to Deir el Bahri (hopeful thinking) are cartouches. When attempts were made to destroy traces of Hatshepsut's name, her eternal future was in jeopardy. It was only in recent centuries that her name was "found" again by early Egyptologists (not the same as Egyptologists today).

On this block, we see Hatshepsut's cartouche (Foremost of noble women, united with Amun) on the right. To the left we see her title "daughter of Re.

Although chiseled out, it can be read with relative ease. Due to this block not being situated within a wall/ door - i cannot say exactly where it comes from within Deir el Bahri. I may be able to find out in time.

Thanks again to Kairoinfo4u - i am extremely grateful to you for the wonderful images being shared on Flickr.

Regards,
Stuart

Qheen Ahmose- facsimile by Howard Carter

Qheen Ahmose; facsimile by Howard Carter
Originally uploaded by The Egypt Exploration Society

Howard Carter is known to some simply as the man who discovered the nearly intact tomb of Tutankhamun. Carter had a much larger impact in Egypt than just the Valley of Kings.

Deir el Bahri is one location where Carter's work is of note. His artistic skills came into play and he set about drawing a number of wonderful watercolour paintings. One of which is of Hatshepsut's mother, Queen Ahmose, seen in this copy.

I will locate more of these. I am sure that i saw a Hatshepsut watercolour when visiting Highclere Castle, so i will look into that.

I don't know exactly where this depiction comes from within Deir el Bahri, but i will find out. I suspect it is from the Hatshepsut shrine area (?) at the top of Hatshepsut's mortuary temple.

Thanks to the Egypt Exploration Society for sharing this image on Flickr.

Update: MMA site shows 2 Howard Carter watercolours:

Stuart

Hatshepsut - Punt House Depiction

Hatshepsut Djeser-djeseru 3416
Originally uploaded by kairoinfo4u

This excellent photo shows us how Hatshepsut had the Puntite houses depicted. On stilts, surrounded by water and trees (some of which would be taken back to Egypt).

This links with a recent post on Punt and there are many more Punt photos to come.

Stuart

Deir el Bahri - the work continues

I will follow up this short post in the next few days.

Whilst some of the Deir el Bahri team have returned home, work continues at the temple of Hatshepsut.

This wonderful news comes from one of the members of the team, Andrzej Cwiek who says:

But in fact only eight members of the Deir el-Bahari mission landed yesterday in Warsaw, five of them are still at the site and the mission is being continued.

Every day at Deir el Bahri could bring fresh information and insight to those us of who crave it. Let's wish the team a very successful season, however limited resources may be.

As i mentioned earlier, i will follow up this post shortly - with some exciting news....(i love cliff-hangers and i hope you do to).

Regards,
Stuart