Architectural Project of Medinet Habu - Research Paper Example

Affiliation Architecture Project Medinet Habu is the that is commonly given to a Mortuary Temple of the Ramses the third. This is a significant structure of the new kingdom period located on a same name location on the West Bank of Luxor within Egypt. Apart from the temple’s artistic and architectural significance as well as its intrinsic size, it is well known as the source of inscribed scenes and reliefs that depict the advent as well as defeat of sea people at the time Ramses the third reigned. The reliefs and scenes in the temple provide good education to people today of the events of the past. This is very significant for historians and those who seek to understand their back ground. The temple does resemble the mortuary temple that was of Ramses the 2nd and is of orthodox design (Wilkinson, 2000). The temple is very well reserved and it is surrounded by an enclosure of massive mad brick that could have been fortified. Its original entry is through some fortified gate-house called Migdal and it resembles an artistic fortress. Just within the enclosure towards the south side are the chapels of Shepenut the 2nd, Nitiqret and Amenirdis the 1st. the three were titled the Divine Adoratrice of Amun. The first pylon does lead to an open courtyard, which is lined with colossal statues that are of Ramses the 3rd as Osiris in one of the sides and on the other are un-carved columns. The second pylon does lead to a peristyle hall, once more featuring Ramses the 3rd’s columns. This heads up a ramp, which heads to the 3rd pylon and then to a big hypostyle hall, one that has lost its roof. During Coptic times, there used to be a church within the temple structure; however it has been remove since. There have been alterations of the carvings in the main walls by Coptic Carvings. Along the southern wall, several liturgical festivities have been listed as well as reproduced and the temple’s economic resources that are necessary for its functionality and brought there from the temple’s numerous possessions that were donated to it by the king during its inauguration (Wilkinson, 2000). The 1st pylon where one can view 4 large hollows that are intended to hold poles made of wood, from which Divine Sigmia flew, has been decorated with bas-reliefs that show Ramses the 3rd in a ritual massacre for Asian prisoners’ process before Amun-Re (southern tower) as well as Libyan and Nubian prisoners before Amun-Re Harakhty (northern tower). On the pylon’s south western side, one may view a scene brilliantly illustrated, of bull hunting within the marshes. This has been considered as one among the artistic masterpieces for the 20th dynasty. Having passed along the pylon’s gigantic door, one enters the 1st courtyard on whose southern and northern sides are 2 porticos; the southern one has an opening known as window of appearances and it connects to the royal palace that is situated outside. The bas-reliefs dominant theme within the 1st courtyard happens to be represented by king’s troops who are defeating the enemy who are people of the sea and the Libyans who were fought by Ramses in his 8th year of reign (Murnane, 1980). The walls do not only show the vanquished enemies who may only be recognized through an exhibition of their body parts, but then again the combat booty, duly listed as well as counted, together with hands and at times the phalluses pharaoh’s soldiers made use of to cut dead bodies of vanquished enemies so as to show their flavor. The temple played a big social role in the ancient Egypt. Medinet Habu, which is located slightly over 2 kilometers to the Ramsseum’s south, used to be called Djnet during the ancient Egypt and in accordance with a believe common amongst the Egyptians, was where for the first time Amun(an Egyptian god) appeared. It is a place where people went to worship Amun, this is evidenced by the presence of the 18th dynasty temple place dedicated to the god of Djanet , built at the times of Hatshepsut as well as Tuthmosis the third, perhaps on the remains of a more ancient temple. This happened to be what Ramses the third later ordered his memorial temple to be constructed there (Murnane, 1980). In the 20th dynasty, it became the Western Thebes’ administrative Centre and a place of meeting for striking workers as well as Deir el-Demina’s artisans whom stayed there as they waited for acceptance of their demands. Towards end of the twentieth dynasty, the sight turned into a refuge place for the people at the time of the war remunerated by Amun’s high priest of Karnak against Kush’s viceroy (Murnane, 1980). Later during the 25th and 26th dynasty periods, it became the place of celebration of the Divine Doctrines of Amun’s cult. There was expansion of the Medinet Habu at the time of the Greaco Roman and its extended history still went on in between first and ninth centuries. Its excavations started in 1859. Since 1924 there have been studies at its site oriented by University of Chicago institute that has established the temple’s complete architectural as well as epigraphic documentation , hence it boosting architectural advancement. Architectural features 2 pylons 2 courtyards Appearances window Columns (Bell shaped) Osiris pillars 2 hypostyle rooms Chapels that were dedicated to different deities as well as Ramses Royal treasury rooms among other architectural features (James, 1956). Dimensions Enclosure perimeter- 1144m Temple of Ramses the 3rd perimeter- 426m Temple enclose- 192m wide and 305m ling 2 courtyards each 40m deep and 47m wide Chapels, shrines, hypostyle rooms and rooms- 62m deep and 47m wide Small temple- 106m long and 12m wide Roman courtyard- 12m deep and 42m wide 1st pylon- 10m base width & top four, 60m long (James, 1956) The temple is very attractive, enormous size. It played a major role socially, politically and has important architectural and artistic work. its reliefs are a major source of historical information. References James, B. :. (1956). Historical records of Ramses III: Texts in Medinet Habu. Chicago: University of Chicga. Murnane, W. (1980). a Consice Guide to the Monuments of Medinet Habu.Chicago:Univercity ofChicago. Wilkinson, R. H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Arizona: Thames & Hudson. Read More