3rd July 2015
40c
40c
Theban Temple Ruins – South East Asasif.
Valley Temple of Hatshepsut – Ramesside Temple (Unknown) – Stone Wall Site – Stone & Mud Brick Pit Site – Mud Brick Site - Ramesside Mortuary Temple Site - Colonnaded Temple of Ramesses IV
Valley Temple of Hatshepsut – Ramesside Temple (Unknown) – Stone Wall Site – Stone & Mud Brick Pit Site – Mud Brick Site - Ramesside Mortuary Temple Site - Colonnaded Temple of Ramesses IV
Dear Friends,
30th June 2015 33c
Left at 7:00-am 25c – Got back at 9:30-am 33c. I decided to go back to the East Asasif and try to make head and tails of the temple sites there. I got some good maps from the Late Bertha Porter’s Bibliography, which shows the Ramesside Mortuary Temple, Valley Temple of Hatshepsut (now lost apparently) and the Colonnaded Temple of Ramesses IV. I have put together a plan of the temple sites at the East end of the Hatshepsut Causeway and East of the Asasif.
The ruined sites are in such a disarray and in bad condition that it is almost impossible to know what is where and who is whose. The Ramesside Temple site is recognized by stone blocks that state Ramesses II to V or even later on them.
The Stone & Mud Brick Pit Site was the only other site that had anything to go on. A few stones blocks with hieroglyphs on them that reveal some detail.
Valley Temple of Hatshepsut.
I thought I had found the Valley Temple of Hatshepsut (now lost apparently) but alas, it turned out to be a Ramesside temple a little distance from the causeway. There is no clear indication of where the Valley temple was, only that it is roughly shown on a map by Porter & Moss. On another map it is shown as being south of the main road and likely to be under houses, although I find this map to be inaccurate and unreliable at times.
Ramesside Temple (Unknown)
Stone Wall Site.
_A strange small area. The part wall is all that remains of what ever was once here back in antiquity times. Its location is down in a pit where the wall descends downwards, perhaps leading somewhere. The wall blocks are amazingly put together, so close that it is impossible to insert anything between them. There is in part of the wall a kind of opening.
|
Stone & Mud Brick Pit Site & Hieroglyph Blocks.
This site is in a large pit. Much of the walls are mud brick with a scattering on stone blocks at the bottom and around the top. It is at the top edge of the pit that there are a few stone blocks with hieroglyphs on them (top left of photo). At the bottom of the pit there are many cave like openings that perhaps were tombs. Down here there are some smaller stone block, some are structured as a wall (middle right of photo) and are just to the right of three tombs?
This looks to be like a winged emblem depicting the sun disc in the middle and attached to its left side is the cobra Wadjt and to the right I suspect it would be the vulture Nekbet.
Mud Brick Site.
Nothing remains here but scattered mud brick walls and what might be a few tombs. There is structure to this site and there is clear evidence of laid out rooms and sections. The site is quite large and runs alongside the Hatshepsut Causeway towards Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahari.
Ramesside Mortuary (Memorial) Temple Site.
Quite a large site located just south east of the Sheshonk Temple. Many stone blocks here with hieroglyphs on most of them. The guardians may or may not let you look around.
Ref: My Article “Ramesside Period Memorial Temple Site – Asasif”
Colonnaded Temple of Ramesses IV.
Located at the entrance to the bay of Deir el-Bahari, just East of the causeway. A number of Egyptologists investigated the ruins, including Carter and Spiegelberg, all that was found were foundation deposits, along with a few inscribed sandstone blocks. Apparently this structure is now completely destroyed. I have not found this site to so far.
Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple – Deir el-Bahari
Note the two causeways that lead to the Lost Valley Temple of Hatshepsut.
I would like to let my readers know that Luxor is ok and safe. The police did a very good job at Karnak and the terrorists didn’t even get out of the car park. As you can imagine after a situation like this, there is now more of a police presence and awareness. Don’t be put off, everything here in Luxor is as safe as it always has been and is awaiting our visit.