Shrine No. 11

Shrine No.	Name / Transliteration	Date	Distance to the Speos of Haremhab [~ m]	Remarks
11	Senynefer, Hatshepsut, and others	Amenophis II	337

From right to left and side by side the shrines No.: 12 (Minnakhte), 13 (Senyneferi), 14 (Nehesj), 15 (Hapuseneb), 16 (Senenmut), and - destroyed - 17 (User-amun), all built during the reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III (photo: E. Noppes).
Far right shrine (red arrow) lies shrine No. 11 built during the reign of Amenhotep II.

Shrine No. 11 is located at the river bank, its entrance drops almost vertically into the river. It was erected for a certain Senynefer and his wife, Hatshepsut but finally it had several owners. Both names point to beginning of the 18th Dynasty, however, are more precise date give the seated statue of User-Satet which belongs to the row of statues at the rear wall. User-Satet is a well attested viceroy of Kish (Nubia) under Amenhotep II.

Sometime in antiquity the cliff above the shrine was quarried away and the shrine leveled down to about half its original height. The facade on the east side is completely lost except a small part on the southern side of the entrance.

The shrine consists of 2 rooms, die 1st room (A) behind the entrance is about 186 cm wide and 260 cm deep. The posterior room (B) is about 293 cm at its east side and a little bit smaller at its west end, about 289 cm. This room is about 251 cm deep. Cut in its west side were five statues seated an a bench. Nothing but the legs of these statues have survived.

South wall of the 1st room, at the top a drawing of Caminos, below an actual photo of the right side of the wall.

Due to the quarrying the 1st room is more or less completely lost. Nothing of the decoration of the northern wall has been preserved. Although also markedly destroyed the south wall bears the remnants of the bottom of a scene. The scene shows a couple seated together in a kiosk and watching several, most likely agricultural actions in front of them. Perhaps, the scene depicts Senynefer and his wife.

Also the scenes in the posterior room have been markedly destroyed. Presumably, the north wall was decorated with 2 registers one above the other but only the lower one has been largely preserved (see the following drawing taken from Caminos).

The lower register show a banquet. Far left the owner of the shrine, Senynefer, is depicted and behind him the "Lady of the House", Hatshepsut. Before them there is a heap of provisions for the feast. Opposite three musicians are standing, a man plying a harp, in the middle a dancing lady, and finally, a lady playing a tambourine. Below them three squatting men are shown clapping the hands to the rhythm of the music.

At the right side of the scene the party guests are shown one after the other. The 1st one is - according to the inscription - Senynefer's brother, the first prophet of Khnum, Thutmosis, the next one is a certain Ser[Amun], first prophet of Haroëris and Sobek, the 3rd one a first prophet of Nekhbet.

The south wall has also been decorated with scenes arranged in two registers but not much has been preserved from the upper register (see the following drawing taken from Caminos). The remains of both registers obviously presented a funerary feast. The upper register shows far right the tow seated main figures and before them a table with provisions. Under the table a pet cat paws a bone. Opposite to the main figures a man is shown standing followed by four seated guests.

The lower register shows further guests, four on the south wall and two beyond the corner (south side of the east wall). All guests hold flowers and are seated on chairs with straight legs, whereas in the upper register the persons are seated on chairs ending in animal - most likely lion - legs. Obviously, the guests are watching the ceremonies taking place before them.

The ceremony is guided by a lecture priest who, dressed in the characteristic leopard-skin, is depicted raising the right hand in a declamatory gesture. In his left hand he holds a papyrus roll. The accompanying text tells: Making an offering which the king gives and many beatific spells. Before the lecture priest three men are shown carrying the offerings: a foreleg of an ox, the heart of an ox in a dish, and a vase full of water that perhaps should be poured in dish in front of the kneeling man.

Cut into the rear (west) wall were five seated statues (see photo above), of nothing but he legs have been preserved. The statues are accompanied by partly destroyed inscription on their legs, on the base, and on the sidewalls. Based on the inscription on the statues the persons depicted are identified as follows (from right to left):

Statue 1: the inscription is completely destroyed but most likely, the statue depicts the wife of Senynefer, Hatshepsut, "Lady of the House"

Statue 3: a "Lady of the House", called Nn-Hr-mnt-s, known from a statue of User-satet as his mother

Statue 5: a "Lady of the House" called Henettawy, nurse of Amenhotep II (see also: Roehrig, C.H., 1990)

The inscriptions give no way to establish a relationship between the depicted persons. Since Senynefer and, most likely, his wife Hatshepsut are presented on the right side, it may be assumed that on the left User-satet is depicted together with his wife, Henettawy. Since the mother of User-satet, Nn-Hr-mnt-s, is presented in the middle a familiar connection with Senynefer or his wife may also be reasonable.

On both sides of the group of statues a vertical inscription has been carved into the rock, however, only a few signs have survived. The text on the north (right) side ends up with: "...[Hat]shepsut, justified". The text on the south (left) ends with: "...overseer of the king's apartment, Senynefer, justified."

On the basis of the statues a vertical inscription repeats on offering formula:
"A boon which the king gives to Osiris, Geb, Nut, and all gods who are in the pure water, that you may give invocation offerings consisting of bred, beer, oxen, fowl, libation, wine, and milk in the course of every day to the spirits of the owners of this shrine, the venerable ones beloved of the ruler."