17679744 Chapel Rouge Karnak

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La chapelle rouge: le sanctuaire de barque d’hatshepsut.

Centre franco-égyptien d’étude des temples des Karnak

Publisher: Paris Culturerance! éditions recherché sur les ci"ili#ation! $%%& - '$%%()

authors:

*urgas! ranck Larché! ran+ois

,rnaudis! ,lain

ranslation by Kim /organ of /andrake 01raft2

333.mandrake.uk.net

4hen the queen 5atshepsut undertook the enterprise to edify the resting place for the

di"ine barque of ,mon 6a in the temple of Karnak! she could not ha"e imagined thetribulations that 3ere a3aiting this monument to piety. 7he thought to complete in a

harmonious manner the monumental ensemble 3hich she had erected on a "ast

podium near the heart of the original temple! 8ust to the east of the edifices of her

husband and his predecessors. 5ad the gods gi"en her more time! as they did for her

successor hutmose 999! 3ithout doubt she 3ould ha"e pursued this endea"our in

rebuilding these final monuments. 7ince they the hutmose; had taken the reigns of

the country! in effect they had attached themsel"es to the aura of the temple! its

dynastic god! in effect the 5eliopolis of the south.

9t has got to be said that the entire temple had suffered mainly during the difficult time

of the 5iksos domination. he heban priests had less means to look after the fabric

of the temple! than those resources of the state of ancient times. hebes 3as far from

,"aris! the capital of the ne3 masters in the eastern 1elta! and ,moun 6a 3as far too

dangerous a national flag carrier. 5atshepsut 3as one of the great restorators of

sanctuaries neglected and more or less fallen into disuse! during middle and high

<gypt. 9n Karnac she follo3ed in the steps of the builders from the beginning of the

second millennium! de"eloping probably some pro8ect of the greatest of those

7esostris 9. =o one can say today if she again took for her barque sanctuary the place

of the one that e>isted in the t3elfth dynasty. 9t is probable but nobody can pro"e such

a thing. he recent disco"ery of the ranco <gyptian centre of 7tudies of the emples

of Karnak sho3! in effect that the temple spread in the /iddle Kingdom much moreto the 4est of the said courtyard of the /iddle Kingdom! as recent unpro"ed theories

had contended. 5o3e"er this resting barque sanctuary 3as probably one of the last

3orks of the ?ueen! 3hich she probably ne"er sa3 finished. 4ith the cro3ning the

hutmose 999 starts the ad"enture of this monument! 3hich 3ould bring it to3ards us!

nearly intact.

,t his accession hutmose 999 seems to ha"e been torn bet3een the t3o desires@

follo3ing of the 3ork of his predecessor as the tradition required@ and getting a3ay

from the memory of the o"er long dominance of the ?ueen. he second brought him

to start officially his reign $$ years earlier. he first to terminate piously the

foundations she 3ho had preceded him in the royal charge. 5e finished the decorationand ele"ated the 3est fa+ade in order to inscribe the scenes of his cro3ning. 5e also



ordered the closing of the lateral north passage and commissioned a door to command

the lateral south passage. he analysis of the pigments affected area by the researchers

of the <gyptian centre of 7tudies of the emples of Karnak had e"en re"ealed se"eral

pictorial layers probably corresponding to the se"eral successi"e stages of decoration

until the last.

his finding is no3 3ithout raising the question of the so-called proscription of the

defunct queen by her successor 3hich is easily presented and in a manner ho3e"er a

bit romantic as grinding! left in inertia 3hile 3aiting for the death of 5atshepsut. hen

getting angry and raising mayhem against her memory. 9f there had been any re-use of

monuments its only later during the ne3 kingdom that the queen disappeared from the

King List.

5o3e"er the e>ca"ation and the architectural study of the sanctuary #one of the

barque led by ran+ois Larché during this last fi"e years ha"e confirmed the position

of the Chapel 6ouge as thought already by 5 Che"rier and and P Lacau at the place

by 3hich hutmose 999 replaced it. ,nd then on 3hich in his turn Philip ,ffhideaeus!

much later! reproduced! on a larger scale the monument of hutmose 999. 9t has been

"erified that this chapel belonged to a "ast pro8ect initiated by her architect 7enmut! a

pro8ect 3hich included heraldic pillars! as 3ell as the rooms of 5atshepsut! the si>th

pylon! 3ith its porticoed courtyard and their chapels. he foundation deposit! the

names of hutmose 999 and 5atshepsut! disco"ered in ,pril $%%A by 6omain /ensan

under the foundation of the 7outh Chapel! the most easterly and under the south mole

of the si>th pylon@ put in e"idence the architectural continuity bet3een the

architectural construction of 5atshepsut and those of hutmose 999. ,t the beginning

of his effecti"e reign hutmose 999 modified the 3est fa+ade! and the monument of

5atshepsut. /ore e>actly and more probably he allo3ed the chapel to be finished.*ut! at the same time from the year $B year 3as born another pro8ect: to remodel this

essential part of the temple! the last step of the royal accession to3ards the sanctuary!

reno"ating the 3ork of 7esostris 9.

he te>t of construction left by hutmose 999 says in an e>plicit manner! confirmed by

archaeology. 5e transposed in the stone the edifices made of brick from the first

hutmosides! remodelled the interpretation that 3as gi"en to 5atshesput for the

4ad8it to the east in the forth pylon and created his o3n 3ad8it e"en more in the east!

encapsulating the chapel of the queen and replacing its heart! completely encasing the

sanctuary of the barque! the goal is describe the di"ine ser"ice to ,mon 6a 3hich is

put in place to restore the ancient splendour of the temple. , "ast ensemble of te>tsshares the t3o hal"es of the space in the north part the military annals of the reign of

years $B to D$ describe the bringing of tributes. he south part e>poses the pious

foundations and the calendar of offerings. his pro8ect is only completed shortly

before the end of the reign. *ut it is no3 clear that hutmose 999 3ishing to dispose of

the ensemble carried his mark for the year B%. 5e started "ery early the "ast ensemble

of ,khmenou and most probably at the same time had the 6ed Chapel pulled apart.

his rapid disassembling seems "ery 3ell confirmed by the fact that the

representations of the queen ha"e not been chiselled off at this moment but much later

at the time of the proscription. *locks ha"e been disco"ered underneath thefoundation of the temple of Ptah! 3hich 3as built "ery early in the reign of hutmose



999E 4hate"er he retakes the foundation of the Chapel 6ouge to erect his o3n!

decorating the t3o heraldic pillars! 3hich from no3 command the 3alk3ay

0periptere2 by the 3est on 3hich the date of his 8ubilee 3as found. he heraldic pillars

ha"e been effect built in front of the C6 to hold the co"er of the access stair3ay@ they

are certainly part of the pro8ect concei"ed at the beginning by 7enmut. heir

decoration date! probably of their erection! that is to say 8ust after the death of the?ueen. his a>ial orientation of the chapel 3as already chosen by 5atshepsut@ it stays

from then it has remained until today.

aken apart the 6C 3aits for better days. 9t is not actually possible to say 3hich 3as

the place 3here its blocks ha"e been deposited after its disassembling. 9t is possible

that their storehouse must ha"e been relati"ely close by to the original site! "ery

probably in the north of the constructions of the 4estF<ast a>is@ the rehabilitation of

the =orthF7 a>is! initiated 3ithout doubt after the dissembling of the C6! the one by

sacred lake and of the #one 3here the habitat of the priests! no other localisation is

practical. he fact that ,menhope 999 hasn’t used all the blocks of C6 because some

ha"e been found to ha"e been reused in the constructions of 6amose 99 and 6amose999! is proof in fa"our of such a storehouse for dissembled monuments 3aiting re-use.

he hypothesis of a storehouse organised 3ithout doubt less efficiently that those of

C<<K construct today outside the #ones built in the heart of premises but

proceeding 3ith the same intention to preser"e and catalogue these element of

architecture! 3hich ser"e also as a model for the artist. 4hich also lies on the fact that

these blocks 3ere preser"es 3ith care. Gery rare 3ere in effect the scratches other

than those due to be disassembled. alking about the reliefs the state of preser"ations

speaks for itself.

9t is of this material 0gisement2 substance that ,menhotep 999 3ill source part of the

filling of the northern mole of the Brd pylon! 3hich he built immediately in the 3estern

#one of the court of the peristyle of hutmose 9G! transforming the equilibrium of the

location to gi"e it an aspect close to the one that 3e kno3 today.

he monument kno3n then after a long sleep of nearly three and half millennium

until Heorge Legrain dissembled the third pylon at the beginning of the $%th century

of our era. he history of the reconstruction starts then. 9t 3ill last more than a

century.

------------

7ince their disco"ery! Heorge Legrain and <douard =a"ille! then Heorges Pillet!

published these reports of this monument! until Pierre Lacau attached himself to his

<gyptological reconstitution. 5e makes a complete photographic sur"ey of the blocks!

3hich he studies in his course at the College of rance bet3een IJDB and IJDD! and

starts the publication in association 3ith 5enry Che"rier! 3hich does the architectural

study. nfortunately Pierre Lacau died and 3e must 3ait until the beginning of the

IJ%s for the publication that his death had left unfinished! thanks to the team

reunited by /ichel Hitton.

7ince the IJB%s the blocks of the Chapel 6ouge had found in the Mpen ,ir /useumof the temple! a place 3hich seems definiti"e. *ut the story doesn’t stop here.



9n the beginning of the IJJ%s the idea had germinated to start an anastylosis of this

monument on 3hich most of the meaning had not been said. hus 3e attach ourself to

rancois Larché himself! to analyse this pro8ect@ 3e disposed of a percentage

reasonably sufficient of the assembly of the edifice and 3e could use the support of

the e>cellent study of its decoration done by Pierre Lacau! 3hich publication assuredthat the greatest part of the reconstitutions 3hich had the ad"antage to underline the

3eak point of these. 5o3e"er the Centre for franco-egyptien 7tudies of the emple of

Karnak deployed a team of restorators and stone-cutters of 3hich the competency and

obser"ation 3eren’t lacking and 3hich brought a lot to this anastylosis .

9n =o"ember IJJA in Karnak! the anastylosis pro8ect of the Chapel 6ouge 3as

e>plained to Paul 1ubrule! co-founder of the group ,CCM6! by ,lain ouquet-,brial

and rancois Larché! in front of the blocks decorated in quart#ite and diorite e>posed

on shel"es 0banquettes2 in the Mpen ,ir /useum. <ach shelf supported a still

incomplete layer 0assise2 in the chapel in 3hich the plan 3as to be reconstituted

according to the form on these shel"es.

he $Ist Nanuary IJJ& in ontainebleau! *eatrice 1ubrule and ,lain ouquet-,brial!

both passionate about <gyptology! con"inced Paul 1ubrule to associate the ,CCM6

group 3ith the financing of the reconstruction of the Chapel 6ouge. ,hmed

/aghrabi! then minister of tourism and president of the <gyptian 5otels of the

,CCM6 group! 3as the general business manager! 3hilst Nean-/arc <spaliou!

president of ,CCM6! came to "isit and encourage the pro8ect in progress and Nean

6obert 6e#nik contacted the media.

he ne3 stone floor in quart#ite! the ne3 cornices and 8ambs of the eastern door in

black granite 3as pro"ided by the <gyptian ,ntiquities 7er"ice! 3hich came from the

,s3an quarries.

7ince $%%I the Chapel 6ouge of 5atshepsut is erected in the Mpen ,ir /useum of

Karnak. he anastylosis has permitted to find the e>act dimension and its original

placing in the centre of the rooms of 5atshepsut

.

his reconstitution has also benefited from the indispensable support of the

foundation. /ichela 7chiff Hiorgini and /adame Hilberte *eau>! 3hich had reunited

the monetary gift of many other philanthropists. 7ome like /ark 6udkin! ! thePrincess ,menah 7 al-7abah and Claude Picasso had "ery kindly donated to the

reconstruction of the chapel! others had financed the realisation of the dra3ings and

this publication. 9t’s about rench people like Louis Hallois! president of the 7=C6!

/adame /essine! secretary of state for tourism! and Claude 7arra#in! and 73iss such

as Nean Louis 1omercq and 5ans 6 7pillmann! of *elgium like Paul-<mmanuel and

1aniel Nanssen and ,lbert de Limburg-7tirum! of 9talian like *arbara *urgerhout!

=anni *ena##o! <duado errero and Hregorio 6ossi and of an amercian ,ndre3 C

4are.

his is because of the support of the ministry of foreign affairs that this "olume 3as

published! edited by 5ina 1escat! responsible for d’ere a l’adpf.



he facsimile 3ere copied on transparent film by Pascale Houdet and ,melie

Hourand before being "erified by Luc Habolde. here 3ere reduced to %O of the

original! these facsimile 3ere then redra3n on polyester film. he dra3ings ha"e then

been corrected and completed by 5elena acharias-1elaporte! /arine <strangin!

/agaku Corti8o and rancois Larché.

he decorated faces and the "ertical 8oints and the beds 3ere photographed at the

same scale! 0I$A% shots2 by ,ntoine Chene and 6omain Perrot. hen the makette of

the proofs sho3ing the faces of all the blocks 3ere prepared by Philippe Hroscau>.

he putting together of the blocks 3as photographed by *astien Poulin. he blocks

that 3ere put together 3ere photographed by Hauthier *ancel and Hael Pollin.

,ntoine Chene directed the 3hole design and the dra3ing and photographs of each

scene.

he pro"isional assembly proposed by Lacau and Che"rier ser"ed as a base to ranck

*urgos! 3ho 3ith the help of B%% prints at IFAth scale of the decorated faces! has been

able to recompose this pu##le and thus reconstitute the e>ternal and internal ele"ations

of both facades! the medium 3all and the t3o long sides. hese ele"ations sho3 that&%O of the 3alls are preser"ed. Nanus# Karko3sky and Luc Habolde proposed the

assemblage of the block of the second layer 0assise2! on 3hich is engra"ed the long

oracular te>t in columns. Cecile Laberenne and Mli"ier Perraguin ha"e made at IFI% th

scale the plans of the resting beds and of the eight layers 0assises2 superimposed as

3ell as the ten ele"ations of the 3alls. Laurent *aque had "ectorised these

architectural dra3ings to be able to realise of the restitution of rancois Larché! in

three dimensions the "ie3s of the chapel in the middle of the rooms of 5atshepsut.

hanks to the dra3ings of the resting beds! the position of the staples! ha"e permitted

to change the layers in the hypothesis of the Pierre Lacau and 5enri Che"rier! IJ

blocks. hese same staples 3ere equally permitted to reposition in same layer I&

blocks. inally ,lain ,rnaudies de"eloped a specific database! 3hich included

description of more than B%% blocks of the Chapel 6ouge and I(%% shots preser"ed in

our archi"es. his database reprises the different iconographic inde>es established by

Piere Lacau of the different scenes.

-----------

he reconstitution 3as directed by ranck *urgos 3ho had equally assured the si#e of

the ne3 blocks in quart#ite and black granite 3as correct! 3ith the aid of 1amien6emiot! Cyril 1eleporte! Christopher Chini and Huillaume *oisanfray. he

consolidation and cleaning of the blocks colour pigments 3ere realised by Pascal

/aritau> 3ith the aid of 5ubert Lafore! 5elene 1elaunay and Christie 1ouet.

Qhe fa"ourite place of ,mounR! because such is the name of the Chapel 6ouge the

name that hutmose 999 3ill keep occupies a strategic position in the temple. Placed

on Qhe stair3ay of ,mounR! this is to mean the platform erected by 5atshepsut as a

foundation of the assemble of the mechanism 0dispositif2 that she had constituted

03hich is today improperly called the QPalace of /aatR2! it is in the heart of the

apparatus of the royal offering. his is this offering that hutmose 999 started to

describe in the "ast assemble of his annals! 3hich encloses as a 8e3el bo> in theChapel of the 7acred *ark.



he scenes 3hich decorate the sides of the Chapel 6ouge e>plain its role! 3hile

e>pressing! by their e>traordinary finesse the precious unique character! of this

monument. Chiselled 3ith precision in the quart#ite so hard! they are a testimony of

the grace and elegance of the parietal art! that kne3 3ith 5atshepsut a blossoming

3hich crescendos until the reign of ,menhotep 999.

his decoration responds to the usual rules of a di"ine monument: the e>terior sides

are turned to3ards the 3orld in 3hich is inscribed the chapel@ the interior described its

cultural functioning.

Mn the first layer of the four sides! all around! figures the geographical traditional

procession 0p IA $J2@ 3hile of the second layer of the long sides is engra"ed in

retrograde columns! an historical te>t 0p. B% D$2. hen come! from the Brd to (th

layer! the great processions of the sacred barque. Mn the south side! the procession of

the feast of Mpet to3ards Lu>or 0p. DB AD2. he offerings of 5atshepsut and

hutmose 999 0p. AA A(2! the return of the procession of the feast of Mpet to3ardskarnak 0p. AJ &A2! the offerings of 5atshepsut and B 0p. & B2! the

conscrecration of the obelisks and the cro3ning of 5 0p. A (D2! finally! the

dedication of hutmose 999 and the discourse of ,moun to the <nnead 0p. (A JB2.

Mn the north side! the procession of the feast of the Galley to3ards 1ier el *ahri 0p.

JA JJ2! the offerings of 5atshepsut and B 0p I%I I%2! the return of the

procession of the feast of Galley to3ards Karnak 0p. I%( IID2! the offerings of 5 and

B to the <nneads 0p. IIA I$I2! then finally! the cro3ning of 5atshepsut 0p. I$B

I$(2.

he t3o facades are dedicated to ,moun and ,moun-/in and e"oke the cro3ning of

the t3o so"ereigns. he 3est fa+ade represents the offerings of 5 to ,moun and

,moun-/in 0p. IB$-IB2! the cro3ning of 5 0p. IB( IBJ2! the one of B 0p. ID%

IDI2! the offerings of B to , and ,/ 0p. ID$ IDB2@ he east fa+ade! the offerings

of 5 and B to ,moun and ,/ 0p. IA% IAB2! the cro3ning of 5 0p. IAD2! the

offering of B to ,moun 0p. IAA2.

he decoration of the interior describes the role and utili#ation of the chapel. he

"estibule this presents! to the north abo"e a free#e the 3ings 0"anneau>2 in adoration

0p. IAJ I&I2! the foundation of the chapel 0p. I&$2! then the offerings of 5atshepsut

0p. I&B-I&&2! of 5atshepsut and hutmose 999 0p. I&-I&J2! of hutmose 999 0p. I%

I$2.

o the south! these are the offerings of 5atshepsut 0p. I$ - I(A2! hutmose 999 0p.

I(&-I(2. o the 3est and to the east! there are equally offerings of 5atshepsut and

hutmose 999 0p. I((-IJA2.

he sanctuary is e>clusi"ely consecrated to offerings: of 5atshepsut 0p. IJ( $%%

and $%$ $%A@ $%( $$( and $BD $AD2! and of hutmose 999 on the last layer 0p.

$%I@ $$J! $B% and $AA $A(2.

9n total it has certainly needed at least a year to erect this monument! 3hich the

duration of life doesn’t e>ceed ten years! after less than a century fallo3 08achere2! theelements are reutilise as filling of a monument 3hich! itself! it still standing@ a century



of research! finally! three millennia and half later permit to reconstitute in its first

splendour.

4e are grateful to ,1P-erc editions to ha"e allo3ed us to kno3n this

documentation! so unique and so e>citing. , "olume of study! reusing the first

publication of the monument! augmented 3ith technical chapters and of historicalsyntheses! 3ill come to complete this 3ork.

Documents

17679744 Chapel Rouge Karnak