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Selected photos of existing state

Image resource: Photograph of East Exterior Wall, by UCLA
Image resource: Photograph of East Exterior Wall, by UCLA
Image resource: Photograph of East Exterior Wall, by UCLA

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Model renderings: 0
Photographs: 18
Archival images: 0
Videos: 0
Object catalog: 0

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Introduction

The present-day east exterior wall of the temple includes the east section of the enclosure wall encircling the core temple and the Akhmenu festival hall (built by Thutmose III).

Measurements: The wall extends approximately 97m in length along the temple's east side.

Phase: Thutmose III

Thutmose III destroyed the mud brick enclosure wall encircling the Amun temple of the time and built a new sandstone wall to incorporate his new festival hall, the Akhmenu, into the greater temple precinct.

Construction materials: sandstone

Phase: Ramesses II

Ramesses II slightly modified the enclosure wall of Thutmose III by adding in four registers of deeply cut sunk relief.

The preserved sections of the wall show that it was covered with 2 registers of scenes: the lower register (the better preserved) depicted the king wearing various crowns making offerings to a series of deities; the upper register is mostly destroyed. Below these was a line of large cartouches and titles of the king, calling him "Ramesses-god-ruler-of-Heliopolis."

About the reconstruction model of this phase

The location and width of the wall were based on the published plan of the Amun temple by Carlotti (2001: pl. 1). The actual height of this wall was unavailable; on the model it was designed to approximate the height of the Akhmenu festival hall which the wall enclosed on its eastern side.

Bibliography and Sources Used for Model Construction

Brand, Peter (2007), “Veils, votives, and marginalia: the use of sacred space at Karnak and Luxor,” in Sacred space and sacred function in ancient Thebes, vol. 61. Chicago: Oriental Institue of the University of Chicago, 51-83.

Carlotti, Jean-François (2001), L'Akh-menou de Thoutmosis III à Karnak : etude architecturale. Paris: Recherche sur les civilisations.