The Kiosk of Taharqa in the Temple of Amun in Karnak: Epigraphic, palaeographic and theological study of the Ptolemaic restauration of the monument

Project: Research

Project Details

Description

The kiosk of Taharqa is one of the major monuments of the archaeological
site of Karnak in Egypt. Despite its architectural, historical and theological
importance, no encompassing study has ever been attempted. The kiosk
was erected by Taharqa (690 BCE) in front of the 2nd pylon, at that time the
entrance gate of the temple of Amun. Both constructions are profoundly
linked to the rituals executed in front of the temple. By the time of the
Ptolemies (300 BCE), both the kiosk and the gate of the 2nd pylon were in
need of restoration. The Ptolemaic restoration of the kiosk is the subject of
the project. Two epigraphic missions to Egypt will enable us to make the
necessary drawings of the decoration and make a photographic coverage of
the monument. The project aims at providing an epigraphic publication of
the monument but also at studying the monument in connection with the
gate of the second pylon which was the subject of our previous project. Not
only will the theological and ritual relations be examined but also the
material aspects. The palaeographic study will be especially interesting in
showing whether the same team of craftsmen were active on both
decoration projects. On top of the publication of the monument itself, we aim
at producing a palaeographic instrument covering the reigns of Ptolemy IV
until Ptolemy VIII in the Theban temples that will offer other researchers a
strong base of comparison for their own research on monuments of this
period. Finally, the publication of the monument will also make it possible to
integrate the texts of the monument into the “Karnak” database aiming at
assembling the texts of all the monuments of Karnak.
Short titleThe study of the kiosque of Taharqa
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/01/1831/12/22

Fingerprint

Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.