The restoration of the barque shrine of King Tuthmosis III at Karnak temple in Luxor has been completed. The shrine is situated at the Open Air Museum of Karnak Temple, which lies to the north of Amoun Museum. The restoration work was carried out by the Egyptian-French mission affiliated to the Centre Franco-Egyptien d’Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK) in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the Karnak Antiquities Sector.
Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ministry of Antiquities’ Egyptian Antiquities sector pointed out that the barque shrine was a substantial addition to the Open Air Museum, owing to its exceptional inscriptions that depict King Tuthmosis III and his relationship with the various gods, especially Amoun-Ra, the god of the Karnak.
According to Christophe Thiers, director of the CFEETK, the restoration works and reassembly of the barque shrine involved the cleaning and conservation of the 76-ton-ceiling slab which was then progressively lifted on top of the walls with the aid of hydraulic jacks and temporary walls that were erected for that purpose.
The large fragments of the barque shrine were found inside the filing of the third pylon which dates back to King Amenhotep III, and the smaller fragments were found in several areas of the Karnak Temple. They were assembled between 1914 and 1954.
Watani International
10 October 2016