Courtyard
13.0 x 3.7m and 7m high. a pronaos, or hypostyle hall, but didn't include any true columns.
Behind is the actual chapel, measuring 13 x 8m. . The first two rooms are considered as vestibules, the third being the sanctuary.
The structure, including the courtyard is surrounded, on three of its sides, by an additional wall; the front being open.
at the centre of the west wall is the large entry to room 1. Two more (smaller) doorways are located one each side of the main chapel building, giving access to the areas at the side of the chapel. Another, even smaller exit doorway is located at the upper (west) end of the south wall.
Room 1
This first room measures 7.40m north-south, 3.75m east-west and 3.6m high.
It is entered through another impressive doorway, at the top of which is the remains of a cavetto cornice.&a winged sun-disc. At the centre, the disc had on either side a ureaus serpent, all in raised relief; the wings being originally painted in red. Nothing of the colour remains, but the raised central portion is still visible.
This was the symbol of Ra, the sun god, under his epithet of "Sun Of Righteousness with healing in his wings".
A variation of this symbol (the cadeceus, see left) is still
used today in association with healing. The temple, with its
relationship with Thoth, in his role as healer and magician, would
appear to have been a possible place visited by people in search of
recovery (or at least somewhere to pray for it).
Tthere is no decoration or colour.
The room was originally illuminated from small windows which were wider on the inside. A large part of its roof is missing and is therefore now partially open to the sky.
At the centre of the west wall is the entry to room 2 . At the western end of the south wall is a much smaller doorway to the outside of the building.
The walls and ceiling of this room are completely uninscribed and of little interest.
The room 1 entry side of the doorway is surmounted with an Egyptian cavetto cornice, which again was decorated with the winged sun-disc. Nothing of its original design has been retained, other than the remains of the disc at its centre.
There is no cavetto cornice on the room 2 side of the doorway.
The uprights
The surfaces facing into room 2 show
faint remains of some hieroglyphs, in two vertical columns. The room
surfaces have virtually nothing.
The inner thicknesses have still retained some of their original decoration, in red paint.
On the right (north) thickness are four scenes, which show, starting at the top:
• an image of a mummified Khonsu, wearing a lunar disk on his head and a Menat-necklace, of which the counterweight can be seen hanging down his back. He has the sidelock of youth and, at the same time, the false beard of the god of the dead. He holds in his hands several sceptres. His identifying texts are missing, but he was probably named Khonsu-Thoth, like the one below.
• a now almost invisible image of a god with the head of falcon. According to the text above him, however, he is identified as Khonsu-Thoth
.
• the upper remains of the sistrum which surmounted the head of Nehemauait and also the tops of two cartouches belonging to the king. The figures of both characters been eroded by time.
• the scene which would have represented the king in front of Amon-Ra, nothing now exists.
On the left is the figure of the hawk-headed Khonsu, his actual name is lost. Again the king, who must have been worship in front of him, is erased.
On both sides, the images of the gods (or goddess) would have had the king in front and facing them, none of which have survived. In each case, the king would have been approaching from outside the chapel.
The lintel face (facing into room 1)
At the time of Mallet, the designs on this surface were still (just) identifiable; however, today, they have almost disappeared. Mallet quotes a note made by Champollion: "On the banner, one sees bas-reliefs drawn in red, representing Euergetes II adoring the god Thoth.".
• First scene
All that remains of this scene is the seated character with a lunar disc on his head. This is certainly one of the two male divinities (Imhotep and Amenhotep) found in room 2; this one probably being Amenhotep. Facing him would have been the figure of the king, and probably the queen, bearing gifts.
• Second scene
Here can be seen three characters: king Euergetes II, a god and a goddess. Euergetes, coming from the left (south) part of the temple, presents to the god the "wine of the south". The god is Thoth, with the head of an ibis; he says to the king: "I grant that you inherit the Two Lands, on the throne of Shu". Behind Thoth (only her arm now survives) is probably Nehemauait, his regular companion.
• Third scene
The king, coming this time from the north, again presents vases of wine to a god (who is now lost), probably Thoth, as in the symmetrical scene of the south.
• Fourth scene
The king, wearing the atef-like crown on the klaft head covering, is followed by queen Cleopatra, who wears the Hathoric crown. Arms raised, she pays homage to a now destroyed god, who can be only Imhotep, since he is counterpart of the one in the first scene (if that one was Amenhotep). Ptolemy is thus under the protection of these two extremely popular divinities at this time; besides, their main cult centres were respectively at Thebes, therefore in the south, and in Memphis, therefore in the north.
Under the lintel
at its centre, a sun-disk, on either side of which is a uraeus.
a vulture, its head towards room 2. In its claws it holds two long standards with a large feather emblem and at its upper edge is a line of hieroglyphic text, which ends with the cartouche of Ptolemy.
These two images are better preserved than those under the lintel of the next doorway, which connects rooms 2 and 3.
13.0 x 3.7m and 7m high. a pronaos, or hypostyle hall, but didn't include any true columns.
Behind is the actual chapel, measuring 13 x 8m. . The first two rooms are considered as vestibules, the third being the sanctuary.
The structure, including the courtyard is surrounded, on three of its sides, by an additional wall; the front being open.
at the centre of the west wall is the large entry to room 1. Two more (smaller) doorways are located one each side of the main chapel building, giving access to the areas at the side of the chapel. Another, even smaller exit doorway is located at the upper (west) end of the south wall.
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Room 1
This first room measures 7.40m north-south, 3.75m east-west and 3.6m high.
It is entered through another impressive doorway, at the top of which is the remains of a cavetto cornice.&a winged sun-disc. At the centre, the disc had on either side a ureaus serpent, all in raised relief; the wings being originally painted in red. Nothing of the colour remains, but the raised central portion is still visible.
 |
This was the symbol of Ra, the sun god, under his epithet of "Sun Of Righteousness with healing in his wings".
|
Tthere is no decoration or colour.
The room was originally illuminated from small windows which were wider on the inside. A large part of its roof is missing and is therefore now partially open to the sky.
At the centre of the west wall is the entry to room 2 . At the western end of the south wall is a much smaller doorway to the outside of the building.
The walls and ceiling of this room are completely uninscribed and of little interest.
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 |
| THE DOORWAY BETWEEN ROOMS 1 AND 2 |
The room 1 entry side of the doorway is surmounted with an Egyptian cavetto cornice, which again was decorated with the winged sun-disc. Nothing of its original design has been retained, other than the remains of the disc at its centre.
There is no cavetto cornice on the room 2 side of the doorway.
The uprights
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The inner thicknesses have still retained some of their original decoration, in red paint.
On the right (north) thickness are four scenes, which show, starting at the top:
• an image of a mummified Khonsu, wearing a lunar disk on his head and a Menat-necklace, of which the counterweight can be seen hanging down his back. He has the sidelock of youth and, at the same time, the false beard of the god of the dead. He holds in his hands several sceptres. His identifying texts are missing, but he was probably named Khonsu-Thoth, like the one below.
• a now almost invisible image of a god with the head of falcon. According to the text above him, however, he is identified as Khonsu-Thoth
.
• the upper remains of the sistrum which surmounted the head of Nehemauait and also the tops of two cartouches belonging to the king. The figures of both characters been eroded by time.
• the scene which would have represented the king in front of Amon-Ra, nothing now exists.
On the left is the figure of the hawk-headed Khonsu, his actual name is lost. Again the king, who must have been worship in front of him, is erased.
On both sides, the images of the gods (or goddess) would have had the king in front and facing them, none of which have survived. In each case, the king would have been approaching from outside the chapel.
The lintel face (facing into room 1)
At the time of Mallet, the designs on this surface were still (just) identifiable; however, today, they have almost disappeared. Mallet quotes a note made by Champollion: "On the banner, one sees bas-reliefs drawn in red, representing Euergetes II adoring the god Thoth.".
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• First scene
All that remains of this scene is the seated character with a lunar disc on his head. This is certainly one of the two male divinities (Imhotep and Amenhotep) found in room 2; this one probably being Amenhotep. Facing him would have been the figure of the king, and probably the queen, bearing gifts.
• Second scene
Here can be seen three characters: king Euergetes II, a god and a goddess. Euergetes, coming from the left (south) part of the temple, presents to the god the "wine of the south". The god is Thoth, with the head of an ibis; he says to the king: "I grant that you inherit the Two Lands, on the throne of Shu". Behind Thoth (only her arm now survives) is probably Nehemauait, his regular companion.
• Third scene
The king, coming this time from the north, again presents vases of wine to a god (who is now lost), probably Thoth, as in the symmetrical scene of the south.
• Fourth scene
The king, wearing the atef-like crown on the klaft head covering, is followed by queen Cleopatra, who wears the Hathoric crown. Arms raised, she pays homage to a now destroyed god, who can be only Imhotep, since he is counterpart of the one in the first scene (if that one was Amenhotep). Ptolemy is thus under the protection of these two extremely popular divinities at this time; besides, their main cult centres were respectively at Thebes, therefore in the south, and in Memphis, therefore in the north.
Under the lintel
at its centre, a sun-disk, on either side of which is a uraeus.
a vulture, its head towards room 2. In its claws it holds two long standards with a large feather emblem and at its upper edge is a line of hieroglyphic text, which ends with the cartouche of Ptolemy.
These two images are better preserved than those under the lintel of the next doorway, which connects rooms 2 and 3.
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