During an inspection in the governorate of Luxor, Egypt, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, explained the work carried out for the restoration and rehabilitation of the South Chapels in the temple of Akhmenu, located in the Karnak complex.
The project was carried out in collaboration with the French-Egyptian Center for the Study of the Temples of Karnak (CFEETK), which allowed for the opening of a new archaeological site to the public.
The restoration work on the South Chapels included cleaning and structural consolidation, as well as documentation of the wall reliefs and decorations. Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that several inscriptions were discovered, among them rituals performed by the pharaoh in honor of the god Amun.
Also found in the main corridor of the temple were scenes of the Heb Sed, a royal jubilee festival of Pharaoh Thutmose III, and a foundation inscription describing the temple as “a sanctuary for millions of years”, dedicated to Amun-Ra and the deities of Karnak.
Abdel Ghaffar Wagdy, general director of Luxor Antiquities and Egyptian representative of the CFEETK, pointed out that the site improvements included the installation of informational signage for visitors and adaptation of access for people with reduced mobility.
The temple of Akhmenu, built during the reign of Thutmose III (1479–1425 BC), is one of the most important dedicated to the worship of Amun-Ra in the New Kingdom. The South Chapels are located to the right of the main entrance and consist of seven chapels and two columned halls connected by an internal corridor. Their excellent state of preservation, with polychrome reliefs still visible, makes them one of the best-preserved monuments in Karnak.
Dr. Khaled also inspected the excavations carried out by Egyptian archaeological missions in Al-Asasif and Naga Abu Asba. In Al-Asasif, a group of small wooden coffins intended for children was discovered, but most are in poor condition and lack inscriptions.
Mohamed Abdel Badie detailed that numerous ostraca (fragments of limestone and pottery with inscriptions), two damaged conical seals bearing the inscription “Supervisor of the House of Khonsu”, a shaft with blue faience ushebti figurines, and a chamber with a pillar without inscriptions were found. A specialist in osteology and coffins will now analyze the bone remains to determine the age, sex, and causes of death of the children.
In Naga Abu Asba, the excavations revealed a colossal mudbrick wall built during the time of Menkheperre, a pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty (11th century BC), where each brick bears the seal of the king and his wife.
A massive sandstone gate was also discovered, along with several metallurgical workshops for the production of bronze statues, numerous Osirian figures, amulets and coins, and a large brewery, indicating that the area may have been an industrial center at various times.
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