Chapels within the
enclosure wall of the
main Ptolemaic temple
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This page was last modified on September 15th 2007
Chapel no. 4 had an outer and inner hall, pronaos and sanctuary, and was on a
northwest-southeast axis. Little remains of the outer hall, which had a bench against its
southern wall. 2 piers set off the entrance to the inner hall and pronaos. The pronaos, into
which the shrine projected, was of the same dimensions as the inner hall: 5.92 m wide x
2.31 m long. It was marked off from the latter area by 2 column bases joining partition
walls. A platform, 58 cm high, projected from the shrine, which was set off by a
whitewashed bench, now vanished. The sanctuary consisted of a single naos faced with
limestone. It had an arched door 108 cm high x 107 cm wide. The back wall of the niche
was of gypsum-plastered brick. Traces of 2 squatting figures with upraised arms were
found on either side of the doorway. Abutting the north wall of the chapel was another
annexe containing an oven.
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Chapel no. 3 consisted of an inner hall, pronaos and sanctuary. The building had 2 phases.
Benches, of which little survives, were set against the north and south walls of the hall, which had
2 columns axially placed. 2 pillars joining screen walls defined the pronaos. A platform lay before the
sanctuary inside the pronaos. In its first stage, it contained only 1 naos, which was vaulted. In its
second phase, the sanctuary became tripartite, and had a flat ceiling.
It appears not to have had wall
decorations, being only
whitewashed. Benches were set
against the back walls of each
niche. These were 42 cm high and
between 42-50 cm deep. Slots
were visible in the mudbrick
thresholds to each shrine,
indicating the presence of
architraves. The sanctuary was
cut into the rock behind at an
oblique angle. Behind it was a
narrow corridor, which continued
from the rear to the north side of
the sanctuary. To the south of the
pronaos was a flight of stairs
leading to the rock terrace above.
A narrow annexe abutting the
south wall of the chapel was
entered by a doorway in the wall
of the inner hall.
Chapel no. 2 consisted of outer and inner halls, pronaos and sanctuary, and enclosure. The outer
hall, no longer visible, had benches on the north and south walls and columns. A flight of steps led to
the inner  hall in which was a rectangular pit 2.37 x 1.03 m, containing a partition dividing it
unequallu. The pit, called crypt by Bruyere, was cut into the rock, and was brick lined and plastered.
Today it is filled with debris. The pronaos was entered between 2 pillars abutting screen walls and
was vaulted. The sanctuary underwent 3 phases, but appears to have always been tripartite. The
wall decoration, bore painted cartouches of Tuthmoses III. There were benches in the central and
southern niches. The 1st was 63 cm high. All the naoi were vaulted, and during the Coptic period the
northern niche became a magazine. An enclosure abutted the southern wall of the inner and outer
halls. What appears to be a blocked door led from the enclosure into the inner hall. Another blocked
entrance was contained in the southern wall of the enclosure leading into chapel no 3.
Sources
1. Bomann, Ann H.: The private chapel in ancient Egypt : a study of the chapels in the
workmen's village at el Amarna with special reference to Deir el-Medina and other sites.
London : Kegan Paul International, 1991.
The chapels within the enclosure walls of the Ptolemaic temple at Deir el-Medina consist of a
group of four adjacent chapels situated on the southern side. During the Coptic period, when
the temple area was used as a monastery, these chapels underwent numerous alterations,
some of which affected the basic plan of the structure.
Chapel no. 1 consisted of hall, pronaos and sanctuary, little of which today
survives just south (left in the picture above) off the main temple building.
Originally the hall had columns and benches. They are all gone today. The
pronaos was joined to the southern wall of the main temple. Later, a door
was set into this wall to connect the pronaos with the temple.
The sanctuary was originally tripartite with vaulted ceilings. Today only two
niches survive. The southern niche (in the picture below, right) contained a
bench 57 cm wide x 110 cm long and 72 cm high.
View of the group of four chapels on the southern side of the main temple
In addition to these four adjacent chapels, lying south of the main temple, there was another
chapel, situated within the northwest corner of the enclosure wall.The chapel was first
excavated by Baraize, later by Bruyere, who labelled it Chapel E. It is no longer visible. It
was damaged by the temple enclosure wall, which was built through it. It consisted of a
forecourt, inner hall, pronaos and sanctuary. Part of its northern wall was shared by chapels
outside the northern enclosure wall.  
More remains of small New Kingdom chapels, erected by the occupants of Deir el-Medina are
scattered within the northern enclosure wall.