The small Ptolemaic temple-chapel of Qasr el-Aguz, also named the chapel of Toth-Ibis, is located to about 200 m. to the south-east of the temple of Medinet Habu.
In spite of it being very interesting, it is potentially unknown to visitors, even those who have returned several times to Luxor.
It therefore seems of interest to provide photographic cover, which is almost complete thanks to the invaluable assistance of Christian Mariais whose photographs supplement mine.
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| Aerial photograph by Cau Brualla |
Aerial photograph
according to the
Theban Mapping Project site |
This temple-chapel was constructed by Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II.
It is dedicated to Thot-Ibis (Djd-hr-pa-hb or Djhwty-stm), a special form of Thot referred to in the liturgies of the cults of Djeme, by Imhotep in his role of godly healer, and to the Ptolemaic dynastic cult to him.
It is likely that a sacred ibis cult took place here.
One of its originalities is the inclusion of non sculpted (but only painted) scenes, which is, to my knowledge, very rare in the Ptolemaic monuments.
The plan of this building, which is intact, another of its interests features - is very simple:
The outside walls are not decorated.
Entry is made by a monumental door which gives way to an oblong courtyard 14 m. long and which had to have been 7 m. high.
It stood in place of a pronaos, or hypostyle hall, but which didn't include a true column.
Behind is the actual chapel, measuring 13 x 8 m. Its axis is perpendicular to the first courtyard. The first two rooms are considered as vestibules.
At the entry to the second room, one finds the cartouches of Ptolemy and Cleopatra II. The room even shows the king making offering to various divinities.
The exact role of room 3, the innermost, remains enigmatic.
Normally, it should be the sanctuary, but this doesn't agree with the existence of openings.
However, these could be closed at the time of the ceremonies and remain open the rest of the time, the building then operating as a sanatorium and/or a place where reserved for oracles.
This oracle hypothesis is rejected by Y. Volokhine for that the Djhwty-stm epithet must be understood as "Thot - the stm (priest)" and not "Thot - the one who listens".
One finds here the king making offerings to divinities, and in the sculpted reliefs, to his ancestor Ptolemy IV and Ptolemy V, as well as to their wives.
THE MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE WILL COME AS SOON AS I AM ABLE TO PROCURED THE PRINCIPLE ARTICLE OF DOMINIQUE MALLET (to see bibliography)
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| Plan from "Temples of the last pharaohs" |
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Original text by Thierry Benderitter
English translation by Jon J Hirst
Photographs by Thierry Benderitter and Christian Mariais
© Copyright OsirisNet 2005
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| Bibliography |
| • MALLET D : Le Kasr-el-Agouz, MIFAO 11, 1909
• VOLOKHINE Y: Le dieu Thot au Qasr el-Agoûz Djd-hr-pa-hb, Djhwty-stm, BIFAO 102, 2002
• DIETER A : Temples of the last pharaohs, Oxford University Press, 1999
• AUFRERE S, GOLVIN JC, GOYON JC : L'Égypte restituée, tome 1, Errance 1991
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