The Temple of Khonsu is an ancient Egyptian temple. It is located within the large Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak, in Luxor, Egypt. The edifice is an example of an almost complete New Kingdom temple and was initially constructed by Ramesses III on the site of an earlier temple. The gateway of this temple is at the end of the avenue of sphinxes that ran to the Luxor Temple. In Ptolemaic times, Ptolemy III Euergetes constructed a great gateway and enclosure wall for the temple; only the gateway now remains. Inscriptions inside the temple’s forecourt were made in the time of Herihor.
Location of the Temple of Khonsu
Situated within the southwest area of the Karnak Temple Complex on Luxor’s East Bank, Khonsu Temple is regarded as an excellent example of a small but complete New Kingdom temple.
Layout
Its construction began under Ramses III. However, the monument was finished by several later rulers, including Libyan generals who were kings of Upper Egypt. The temple was named after Khonsu, the son of Amun and Mut. It consists of a peristyle court, bordered by a portico of twenty-eight columns that lead to a hypostyle hall connected to a barque sanctuary. Some of the most well-preserved and vivid relief carvings at Karnak were long hidden within Khonsu Temple under centuries of smoke and grime.
The hypostyle hall was erected by Nectanebo I and is not of great size; inside were found two baboons that appear to have been carved in the time of Seti I. It probably belonged to the earlier building on the site.
Numerous blocks with unmatching and inverted decorations can be seen, showing the amount of reconstruction and reuse of material from the surrounding temple complexes, especially in Ptolemaic times.
Conservation work
The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), with funding from the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID), oversaw and carried out conservation and documentation work in the temple. In later stages, this operation was accomplished via a field training school for conservators from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. In addition to cleaning and conserving six chapels inside the temple, the project included structural repairs to stabilise the monument, a photographic documentation training school for the Luxor inspectorate, and the introduction of visitor information and signage. The conservation interventions led by ARCE took place at the temple in phases beginning in 2006 and lasted until 2018.
Initial efforts in 2006 focused on installing a stone walkway that surrounded the temple’s east, north and south borders. Subsequent work included fitting new flooring in the central court and the hypostyle hall, cleaning columns in the central court, and partially rebuilding the temple’s north-facing facade. Italian conservators arrived in Luxor in late 2008 and focused on the stabilisation, cleaning, and conservation of the temple’s painted reliefs. Their work primarily focused on Chapel 12 during the 2008-2009 season. The chapel was outfitted with visitor-friendly sandstone flooring. A unique solar lighting device that filters and diffuses sunlight and eliminates the need for traditional lighting fixtures. A portable wall guard clear panelling structure can be easily removed for cleaning, maintenance, or thoroughly exposing the walls. And a small solar-powered ventilation system will exchange the air in the chapel during the day to help reduce any moisture caused by visitor respiration. Following these successful introductions, Chapel 12 then served as a prototype for conserving the other chapels in the temple.
In September 2019, ARCE celebrated the temple’s conservation with its partners USAID and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
