ABSTRACT
ThetempleoftheXVIIIthdynastywasbegunby AmenhotepI.Itwasorientatedrathertothenorthofwest, andwasenclosedbyagirdle-wall,partofwhichwas
incorporatedbyRamesesIIIinthegreatbrickwallround
thetemenosofhistemple.Theoriginalwallremains onlyonthenorthandwest(J).Itisaprocessionaltemple, butasAmenhotepwasverydefinitelyagodthebuilding
mayhavebeenhisfunerarytempleaswell.Fivemonarchs oftheXVIIIthdynastywereconcernedinthebuilding
ofthisholyplace,AmenhotepI,Hatshepsut,andthe threeTehutmes.Itwasinuseandkeptinrepairtillthe
XXthdynasty;thenitfellintodecayandwasrestored
andpartlyrebuiltbyShabakaandTaharqa;thePtolernies
andtheRomansalsoaddedtoitandrestoredpartsofit. Theforecourt{K)islargeincomparisonwiththerest
ofthebuilding;theentrancedoorintheaxisofthetemple bearsthenameofAntoninusPius,andatthenorthend ofthecourtisacolonnade(L),originallyPtolemaic,but alteredandinscribedbythesameemperor.Behindthe colonnadestandsthePtolemaicpylon,whichispeculiarin
EGYPTIAN TEMPLES
being for outward show only; it is merely a shell, for the walls facing towards the temple have never been built.
