North Exterior Wall

Introduction

Part of the present-day north exterior wall of the temple includes the north (exterior) face, northeast corner and gate of the Great Hypostyle Hall.

Measurements: The north face of the hypostyle hall measures 52m in length.

Phase: Sety I

Sety I covered the exterior side of the hypostyle hall with relief scenes and texts of the king at battle with the enemies of Egypt. The many individual scenes on these wall expanses cover a number of different themes, including Sety's campaigns against foreign towns or peoples (including the Shasu Bedouin of southern Palestine region, the Libyans, the Hittites and the Yenoam Asiatics), submission and presentation of tribute by foreign rulers to the Egyptian king, and the victorious king presenting the spoils of war to the important gods of Thebes.

Construction materials: sandstone

About the reconstruction model of this phase

Photographs of king Sety's reliefs on the northern wall and gate taken at Karnak temple were placed on the model based on the location of these scenes in the publication of the University of Chicago Oriental Institute Epigraphic Survey (1986:pl. 1).

Bibliography and Sources Used for Model Construction

University of Chicago Oriental Institute Epigraphic Survey (1986), Reliefs and inscriptions at Karnak: The battle reliefs of King Sety I, vol. IV. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Further reading

Brand, Peter (2008), “The Karnak Great Hypostyle Hall Project.” http://history.memphis.edu/hypostyle/Tour/Seti_war.htm .

Schwaller de Lubicz, R. A. (1999), The temples of Karnak. London: Thames & Hudson.