|
History of the temple Djeser djeseru |
last update:
29.08.2010
|
 |
Possible layout of the temple in the 1. building phase under Thutmosis
II (according to Wysocki, 1992); the thick lines mark the walls of the upper
terrace, thin those the middle terrace; simple crosses indicate the locations
of columns on the upper terrace, crosses in a square mark columns on the
lower terrace (Felssims = rock-ledge) |
| According to Wysocki (Wysocki, Z., "The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
at Deir el-Bahari - The Raising of the Structure in View of Architectural Studies", MDAIK
48, 1992) the first building phase was already started with the execution of upper
terrace during the reign of Thutmosis II.
|
| During the 1st period of phase I (arrangement according to
Wysocki, loc. cit.) at first a rectangular platform for
the terrace had to be build to carry future
structures. On its western side the platform abutted on the wall of rock, on
its
northern and southern side it was surrounded by rock sloping eastwards. However, since
the rock sloped down towards the south retaining walls at these sides had to
be built in order to construct an artificial south-east
corner. The debris hewn out of the rock massif was used later as a filler for the
walls and the terrace.
|
At the same time when the retaining walls for the terrace were erected in the southeast
area the foundations for future temple walls in this area had to be built.
The foundations for future temple walls were built directly on the bedrock and consisted of double
walls whereby the space in between was filled just like the terrace with
debris.
According to Wysocki the rows of stone blocks for the retaining wall and the foundation wall
were always set at the same time, afterwards the spaces in between were filled and
consolidated. Then the next row of blocks followed until the terrace had reached
the desired level. Parallel, the rock-ledge (= Felssims; s. figure) above the temple
was cut out of the mountain massif in order to protect the temple from falling rocks.
The idea of the protective rock-ledge was probably taken from the temple of
Mentuhotep II, where the remains of a similar protective device were discovered. In the middle part
of the rock-ledge, along the temple axis, a cavity
was cut for the main sanctuary of the temple.
|
| After the terrace had been completed the building of the temple walls
was started in the 2nd period of phase I. According to Wysocki it is not possible anymore today to find out
exactly how far and/or how
high the walls had been built when the work was interrupted by death of Thutmosis II. In
his opinion the western wall including the protective wall against falling
rocks might have reached their planned height. From the western wall some incomplete walls
branched off to the east and enclosed the current upper terrace. Furthermore, the walls
around the Chapel of Amun and the Chapel of the ithyphallic Amun probably were ready at
that time. |
| According to Wysocki (loc. cit.) the
construction of the chapel
of Hathor was already started during the first building phase. Wysocki explained that
by the fact that later the name-rings of Hatshepsut had been replaced by that of
her husband and by architectural evidence. |
 |
| View from the worker's trail down to the 3. terrace. The photo
shows the situation in December 1999;
on the right the rock-ledge, on the left the south-wall with the large gate to the
portico and the ramp leading down to the middle
terrace, above one recognizes the room with the window (direct beside the south-wall, on the right of it there is a
vestibule in front of the Chapels of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis I (covered with corrugated iron); above the
south-wall there is the Chapel of Hathor, at the upper left corner there is the platform of the temple of
Mentuhotep II. |
|