News

Grand opening ceremony of the Complex of the Sun Cult in the Temple of Hatshepsut on February 22!

On Sunday, February 22, 2015, at 11.30 the opening ceremony of the Complex of the Sun Cult in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari will take place. Celebration will begin with the speeches of following persons:

 

Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty, Minister of State for Antiquities and Heritage in Egypt
H. E., Mr. Michał Murkociński, Ambassador of the Polish Republic 
Dr. Zbigniew Szafrański, Director of the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Mission in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari

 

 

Event is organized by the Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities in cooperation with the PCMA Research Centre in Cairo and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.

 

In the afternoon event will be moved to the Polish Dig House, Metropolitan House. At 4.30 there will be opening of the photograph exibition prepared for the 100 years of the Metropolitan House, followed by the lecture at 5.00 by Marcel Maessen with a contribution by Mariusz Caban.

 

Exibition plates about the Solar Complex can be downloaded HERE:

 

       

 

 

 

Polish Mission is preparing for the opening of the Complex of the Solar Cult for public

Currently, the Polish Mission in the temple of Hatshepsut is preparing for the opening of the Complex of the Solar Cult for public, which will be held on February 23. Work focuses on the designing the sightseeing paths, final conservation of the reliefs, adequate protection and preparation of this part of the temple for tourists.
 

These are not the only actions of the Polish Mission. Spring season is also traditionally devoted to the conservation. This year, conservators deal with the re-modelling of the ozyriac statue in the Lower North Portico, transferring the previously reconstructed sphinx from lapidary to the original place by the processional alley in the Lower Courtyard and inserting blocks in the walls of the Chapel of Hatshepsut.
 
Other works of the Polish Mission are held in the Complex of the Royal Cult (epigraphic verification in the Chapel of Hatshepsut and Chapel of Thutmose I, photographic documentation in the niches and the Chapel of Thutmose I), in lapidary (architectural documentation) and over the vestibule of the Hathor Shrine (securing roof).

Ph.D. thesis about Temple of Hathepsut defended by the member of the Polish Mission, Marta Sankiewicz.

We are pleased to announce that on the 8 January 2015 member of our Mission, Marta Sankiewicz, defended with honors her doctoral thesis Ikonografia Hatszepsut i Totmesa III w świątyni Hatszepsut w Deir el-Bahari jako odbicie relacji między współwładcami (in English: Iconography of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari as a reflection of the relationship between both rulers), written under the supervision of Professor R. Koliński. Reviewers were Professor J. Śliwa from the Jagiellonian University and Professor. A. Niwiński from the University of Warsaw. Defense took place at the Faculty of History, UAM (Poznań). 

 

Congratulations and we look forward to the publication. 

 

More about the project can be found HERE.

 

Works in the temple of Hatshepsut resumed

In the second half of January works of Polish Mission in the temple of Hatshepsut have been resumed. In this part of season our acitivity will be focused primarily on conservation and excavations. It is planned to:

 

 

 - set the reconstruction of the Sphinx of Hatshepsut by the processional path in Lower Courtyard 

 - insert new blocks in the Hatshepsut Chapel and Tuthmosis I Chapel 

 - continue securing the area above the vestibule of Hathor Chapel

 - continue the excavations in the Lower and Upper Courtyard 

 - continue studies, documentation and reconstruction in Complex of Royal Cult

 - document the artefacts from previous and current excavations

 

We keep fingers crossed and wish good luck to all the members of our Mission.

 

Opening of the Complex of Solar Cult!

Opening of the Complex of Solar Cult to the public has been planned for February 22, 2015.  Located in the north-eastern part of the Upper Courtyard of the temple of Hatshepsut, it is one of very interesting parts of the building. Restoration, epigraphic and architectural works have been completed, making it possible to open this part of the temple to the public. The opening will be organized in close cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
 
To all interested, we remind you about the egyptological publication of Complex of Solar Cult:
 
 Karkowski, J., The Solar Complex in Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari, Warsaw, 2003.
 
During the ceremony, there is another event planned - an opening of the exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the building the Metropolitan House (being now Polish dig house), which is in preparation by Marcel and Monica Maessen from "The t3.wy Foundation for Historical Research in Egyptology".  

More information about the exibition is HERE.

 

New issue of Études et Travaux with articles concerning Temple of Hatshepsut

At the end of 2014, a new XXVIIth  issue of the Études et Travaux was released by the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Science. There are four articles concerning Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari:

 

Olga Białostocka, A Nome Procession from the Royal Cult Complex in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, EtudTrav XXVII (2014), pp. 19-36

 

Olga Białostocka, Palace or Slaughterhouse? The Function of the Room with a Window in the Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari, EtudTrav XXVII (2014), pp. 37-60

 

Andrzej Ćwiek, Old and Middle Kingdom Tradition in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, EtudTrav XXVII (2014), pp. 61-93

 

Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczyńska, Inscribed Vessels Represented in the Chapel of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari?, EtudTrav XXVII (2014), pp. 405-420

 

Enjoy reading!

 

Creativity and Innovation in the Reign of Hatshepsut - proceedings of the Theban Symposium in Granada, Spain (May 2010)

While waiting for resumption of works at the Temple of Hatshepsut, we recommend reading one of the newest publication about Hatshepsut reign:

 

JM Galán, B. M. Bryan, P.F. Dorman (eds), Creativity and Innovation in the Reign of Hatshepsut. Papers from the Theban Workshop 2010, SAOC 69, Chicago 2014.

 

These are proceedings of the Theban Symposium in Granada, which took place in May 2010 at the Arab Studies Institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). You can find there an article of Dr. Zbigniew E. Szafrański "The Exceptional Creativity of Hatshepsut" (pages 125-138).

 

The publication can be downloaded HERE.

 

Christmas Break and Wishes

In the middle of December Hatshepsut Mission ended autumn part of 2014/2015 season. It was a very fruitful time for all of our team. Work at Hatshepsut Temple will be resumed in January, after Christmas and New Year break. With upcoming Christmas, we wish you a cheerful and family time and all the best in the New Year.

Season 2014/2015 has already started!

On November 2nd, Polish Mission  began its 2014-2015 work season at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari. Autumn part of the season will be devoted mainly to the epigraphic work and study of architecture. Documentation is being continued in the Main Sanctuary of Amun and Southern Room of Amun. Also a new project, concerning the Portico of Punt at the Middle Terrace, has been started (more information coming soon). Currently, our inspector is Mohammed Saleem.