Temple of Amenhotep I at Deir el-Medina and the Cult of Amenhotep I

The page was last modified on July 1st 2008

Sources:
1. Wilkinson, R. H. : The complete temples of Ancient Egypt.
London : Thames & Hudson, 2000.
2. 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.
3. Strudwick, Nigel and Helen: Thebes in Egypt : a guide to the tombs and temples of
ancient Luxor
London : British Museum Press, 1999.
4. McDowell, A.G.: Village life in ancient Egypt : laundry lists and love songs
Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999.
5. Pharaoh's workers : the villagers of Deir el-Medina / edited by Leonard H. Lesko
Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1994.

Temples

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The temple stands on the terrace above the Ptolemaic temple enclosure. This temple
was dedicated to Amenhotep I (1551-1524 BC) and his mother Ahmose Nefertari, who
were both deified by the villagers. The original structure was a small one and little
remains of it. Many of the walls surrounding the site are later accretions.
The temple consisted of an outer and inner hall, pronaos and shrine. Two steps led into
the pronaos which had been decorated with a wall-surround of red, white and black
horizontal bands. Nothing remains of the royal couple, to whom the temple was
dedicated, who were shown seated on a throne. Numerous statues were found at the
site by Drovetti, Schiaparelli, Bruyère and Baraize.

The temple of Amenhotep I

Fragment of wall painting from the
tomb of Kynebu at Deir el-Medina:
the deified ruler Amenhotep I
British Museum EA 37993
20th dynasty, about 1129-1126 BC
Painted plaster
Height: 44 cm

Fragment of wall painting from the
tomb of Kynebu at Deir el-Medina:
deified Queen Ahmose-Nefertari
British Museum
EA 37994
20th dynasty, about 1129-1126 BC
Painted plaster

Petrie Museum, UCL UC33258
Queen Ahmose-Nefertari
Possibly from Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty, 1295-1186 BC
Limestone
Black ink with traces of the preliminary sketch
in red
Upper part of a figure of Queen
Ahmose-Nefertari facing left. She wears a
long tripartite wig and the Vulture headdress.
Dating of the ostrakon takes into consideration
the fact that Queen Ahmose-Nefertari was
represented as wearing th "Vulture" headdress
after she was deified in the Ramesside Period.
Height: 11.8 cm
Width: 13.5 cm

Petrie Museum, UCL UC14379
Possibly from Deir el-Medina
Ramesside Period (1295-1069 BC)
Limestone
Height: 20.5 cm
Width: 14.5 cm
Fragment from a tomb. In the lower left side of the
fragment there is an upper part of a royal head and
face with uraeus on the forehead. Above the head
there is a cartouche of Ahmes Nefertari, the queen of
Ahmose I (1570-1546 BC), the mother of Amenhotep
I (1551-1524 BC).

Petrie Museum, UCL UC14223
Probably from Deir el-Medina
20th dynasty (1186-1069 BC)
Limestone
Height: 20 cm
Width: 12.7 cm
This is a right-hand part of a framed stele of
Kaha. It shows the deified Amenhotep I
(1551-1524 BC) standing to the left, holding a
spear in his left hand. The two cartouches next to
him identify him as Amenhotep Djeserkare. To his
right there is a priest standing in adoring position.
The priest's name is written in a hieroglyphic
inscription above his head.

The cult of Amenhotep I

From the 18th dynasty onwards, the main focus of religious worship of the population of Deir
el-Medina was the cult of Amenhotep I, particularly in the form of "Lord of the village", together
with his mother Ahmose-Nefertari.
Amenhotep I Djeserkare (1525-1504 BC) was the second pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. He was
probably still very young when he came to the throne, so it is likely that his mother, queen
Ahmose-Nefertari (c.1570-1505 BC) served as regent for the first part of his reign. They are
jointly credited with the foundation of Deir el-Medina, where they consequently enjoyed personal
religious cults until the late Ramesside Period.
Apart from the modest temple dedicated primarily to the couple, they were secondary honourands in
the chapels of other gods as well.
The deified king had many feasts during the year at which his statue was carried in procession by
the wab priests. The feasts were fairly regular events and were usually part of religious festivals
connected with the cult. One festival involved the carrying of Amenhotep I's statue into the Valley
of the Kings, another may have been associated with the anniversary of his death. The deified king
was called upon to resolve disputes, particularly the ones involving properties. In these oracles, the
image of the god, Amenhotep I, responded positively or negatively to questions put to him. Since the
priests of this particular cult came from the workmen themselves, the response would be some form
of consensus between the priests who were carrying the divine image. The god's oracular
pronouncements, however they were made, had great weight, and his processions were a high point
in Deir el-Medina's life.
The textual and representational evidence associated with their cult at Deir el-Medina may be seen
in cult statues, votive stelae, libation basins, paintings and inscriptions in tombs and on ostraka.
More than fifty of the Theban tombs of private individuals include inscriptions mentioning
Ahmose-Nefertari's name.
Below are samples of representations of the deified couple. All originate from Deir el-Medina and
are now housed in the British museums.

Egyptian Museum, Turin
Stele to Amun-Re, Meretseger and Amenhotep I
From Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Painted limestone

Egyptian Museum, Turin, cat. 1452 = CGT 50034
Stele of Amenemope
From Deir el-Medina
Beginning of the 19th dynasty, reign of Seti I and
Rameses II
Limestone
The stele is dedicated to Amenhotep I and
Ahmose-Nefertari by the 'Servant in the Place of
Truth' Amenemope and Amennakht.
Height: 30 cm
Width: 20 cm

Egyptian Museum, Turin, C1452
Stele of Amenhotep I before Amun
From Deir el-Medina
18th dynasty
Limestone
The pharaoh holds a prisoner by
his hair in front of the god Amun
who holds a scimitar of typical
half-moon shape in his hand.