MIT Libraries homeDome

Festival Hall of Tuthmosis III, looking up and northwest, depicting the "tent pole" style columns; This stands to the east of the main temple complex. Between the sanctuary and the festival hall is an open space, and this is thought to be where the original Middle Kingdom shrines and temples were located, before their later dismantling. The Festival Hall (or Akh-menu - "the most glorious of monuments") itself has its axis at right-angles to the main east-west axis of the temple. It was originally built for the celebration of the sed-festival (Royal Jubilee) of Thutmose III, and later became used as part of the annual Opet Festival. "In expanding the Temple of Amun at Karnak, Tuthmosis III rebuilt the court of Tuthmosis I (reigned ca. 1493-ca. 1482 BCE) and the shrine containing the portable bark of the god, added several pylons, dedicated seven obelisks and erected a vast festival complex notable for its imaginative depictions of Syrian flora." Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 1/19/2008)