 Qārat el-Muzawwaqa | ||
| El-Qārat el-Muzawwaqa · القارة المزوقة | ||
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El-Qarat el-Muzawwaqa or el-Qarat el-Muzauwaqa (also Qaret / Karet el-Muzawwaqa / el-Muzawaqqa, el-Mezouaqah, el-Ḳāreh el-Muzauwaḳeh, Arabic:القارة المزوقة, al-Qārat al-Muzawwaqa, „the decorated / painted hill“) Is an ancient burial ground from Greco-Roman times in the northwest of the egyptian Sink ed-Dāchla West of Qasr ed-Dachla. A special feature of the two decorated graves is the depiction of signs of the zodiac on the grave ceilings. This archaeological site was officially opened to visitors in late October 2013. A visitor center has already been built.
background
The conical burial rock el-Qārat el-Muzawwaqa with a diameter of about 150 meters is located south of the trunk road to el-Farāfra, about 6 kilometers southwest of el-Qaṣr, 3 kilometers northwest of Amḥeida and 3 kilometers northeast of Deir el-Ḥagar. Like other rocks in the area, it is a sandstone rock, the lowest layers are formed by brittle clay slate. The hill is one of the cemeteries of the Roman settlement Amḥeida. The decorated graves at the foot of the grave rock date to the first and second centuries AD.
This site was made famous by European travelers from the beginning of the 19th century, who also give the name used today. The site was opened by the British in 1819 Archibald Edmonstone (1795–1871)[1] and from the Italian Bernardino Drovetti (1776–1852)[2], 1820 by the French Frédéric Cailliaud (1787–1869)[3], 1874 by the German Africa explorer Gerhard Rohlfs (1831–1896)[4] and on May 20, 1908 by the American Egyptologist Herbert Eustis Winlock (1884–1950)[5] visited.
The travelers of the 19th century mention looted mummies of humans and animals lying on the ground, the latter were mostly rams, and square mud brick graves. The grave of Petosiris, one of the graves responsible for the name of the site, was only found by Winlock, who also gave a first description of the front chamber. The front chamber was partially filled with sand, the rear one completely.
But this grave fell into oblivion again. It was published in May 1971 by an Egyptologist Ahmed Fakhry (1905–1973) and “rediscovered” by the head of the guardians of the oases, Ahmed Zayid. From December 1972 the graves of Petosiris and Petubastis were uncovered by Fakhry and the antiquities inspector A.F. Fayed. Numerous demotic ostraca (stone fragments with texts in ancient Egyptian cursive) were found. The tomb of Petosiris was restored in 1972, that of Petubastis four years later. In 1977/78 the graves were picked up again by Jürgen Osing, Dieter Arnold and Rainer Stadelmann from the German Archaeological Institute and their publication in 1982.
Under the direction of Gillian E. Bowen from Monash University, Australia, the Dakhleh Oasis Projects in the northeast of el-Qārat el-Muzawwaqa graves from Christian times examined.
getting there
The archaeological site can be reached via the trunk road from ed-Dāchla to el-Farāfra. 5 kilometers west of Qaṣr ed-Dāchla there is a road junction to the south at 1 Road junction to Qarat el-Muzawwaqa(25 ° 41 ′ 21 ″ N.28 ° 50 ′ 15 ″ E) after Qārat el-Muzawwaqa. After another kilometer you reach the site on a paved road.
mobility
The two graves are near the parking lot, almost on the ground. The terrain itself is sandy and there are no paved paths.
Tourist Attractions
The archaeological site is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entrance fee is LE 40 and for students LE 20. There is also a combined ticket for all archaeological sites in ed-Dāchla for LE 120 or LE 60, which is valid for one day (as of 11/2019).
On the burial mound there are numerous rows in several rows, on the order of a hundred Burial caves. They have no decoration, but sometimes they are plastered with clay and whitewashed. Several corpses of the people who were once buried here lie in one grave.
The graves of Petubastis (left) and Petosiris (right) are located directly next to each other on the southwest slope of the rock. They are easy to find as the guard house is in the immediate vicinity, but locked with an iron door. However, the guards do not have a key to these tombs!
The graves have been closed since 1992. In the meantime, the graves have been restored and a visitor center has been set up where visitors can find out about the graves in advance. The condition of the graves with its fragile slate and the low ceiling made protective measures necessary. The conversation was of course glass panes, but also display boards in front of the graves and a limited visiting time, similar to what you would get from the Königsgräbertal knows.
Both graves were dug in fragile clay slate. The chambers with their entrances in the south are roughly rectangular. Sloping corridors lead to the entrances. The graves could only be roughly cut out of the rock. Then they were covered with a 0.5 to 5 centimeter thick layer of clay to level out some unevenness. A layer of plaster stucco about 0.5 centimeters thick was then applied as a painting base. The slate is the reason why the walls are still not even and there are no sharp corners and edges.
The completely looted graves do not contain any grave shafts. The corpses were placed in wall niches designed for this purpose. The decoration of both graves was laid out in multiple colors, but stylistically they differ significantly in both graves. Religious scenes and scenes from the cult of the dead are discussed. The artists adhered to the ancient Egyptian conventions. Only the depiction of the busts and the large depiction of Petosiris were done frontally in the Graeco-Roman style. However, both graves have a special feature: the ceilings of all rooms were completely filled with zodiac representations.
Petubastis tomb
The 1 Petubastis tomb(25 ° 40 ′ 52 ″ N.28 ° 50 ′ 18 ″ E), P3-dj-B3stt, was created in the first century AD and is thus somewhat older than that of Petosiris. The grave consists of only one chamber, which is about 3–3.5 meters wide, 4 meters long and about 1.75 meters high. In the middle of the two long sides there are long niches to accommodate the corpses. The two or three registers (picture strips) were divided with red-brown or black lines. At the corners there are representations of trees or bushes. The representations are bordered at the top with vines.
The representations on the door reveals are almost completely lost. An upright snake is only visible on the right (eastern) side.
The left entrance wall in the southwest of the grave has representations in two registers. In the upper one you can see a jackal-headed and a Bes-shaped demon, both of which hold two knives in their hands. In the lower register, the moon god Chons stabs a small animal with the crescent moon on the head. Behind it are a two-headed boy and a snake with a lower Egyptian crown. Both registers were filled with Udjat eyes. These scenes are supposed to keep mischief from the grave.
At the West wall three registers were attached, the middle one contains the niche for the corpse. The upper register with its five scenes shows two boat scenes on the left, for each of which the grave lord donates water. The first boat scene shows the crossing of the Djed pillar - as a symbol of duration - to the west, the second that of the phoenix to the east. The second scene shows four people who bring mummy bandages to the mummy of the grave lord, who is held by the god of death Anubis. In the third scene the grave lord worships a gate (to the underworld) and a falcon-headed god (probably the gatekeeper). In the fourth scene two follow Ba-Birds (soul birds) on a Djed pillar and in the fifth scene gift-bearers.
The middle register is almost completely filled by the niche in the spandrels Ba-Birds can be seen. On the left the grave lord donates a water offering to a god shaped like a mummy, on the right the grave lord worships Osiris. There is a sacrificial table between the two.
The lowest register with its six scenes first shows the mummy-shaped grave lord, who is protected by the winged god Horus, as he stands before Hathor, mistress of the west (the realm of the dead), and a hawk-shaped god with two knives. In the second scene the seated grave lord receives a water offering. In the third scene you can see the grave lord at the grain harvest, cutting off ears. The following scene shows the tomb lord's mummy with hers Ba in a shrine. In the fifth scene a sun barge is pulled by a jackal and worshiped by the grave lord. The last scene shows the mummy-shaped Osiris in a row with Isis, Nephthys, Anubis and Horus.
The North face (Back wall) shows scenes in two registers. On the left you can see the result of the judgment of the dead, how the grave lord is led to Osiris by the scribe god Thoth and the god of the dead Anubis. Of course, the corpse eater has nothing to do in front of Osiris. To the right and left of the niche crouch the twelve judges of the dead. In the niche, the youthful sun god was depicted on a lotus flower surrounded by vines. Below the niche is a jackal on a shrine. To the right of the niche you can see the beginning of the judgment of the dead. Anubis and Horus hold the balance on which the heart of the deceased is weighed against the truth. The right conclusion is a badly damaged tree goddess scene and Horus.
The lower register shows three scenes: on the left, four men pull the hearse. In the middle you can see the seated grave lord receiving a water offering, a phoenix on a tree, Anubis holding the mummy of the deceased, and Petubastis, the ram standard and the Abydos fetish (the symbol of Osiris, who is his head is viewed and in Abydos was adopted as a cult symbol). On the right a goddess crouching on a box, the seated grave lord who receives a water offering from the tree goddess, and Anubis bending over the laid mummy are depicted.
The East wall has a similar structure to the one opposite. The first double scene of the top register shows how Anubis (?, Left) and Horus (?, Right) worship Osiris. In the middle, an Abydos fetish is worshiped by three gods. On the left there are a falcon-headed god, Isis and Anubis, and on the right, Thoth with a moon disc, Nephthys and another god. On the right, 13 gods crouch on their knees with a papyrus scepter.
In the middle register there is again a niche with the Ba-Birds in the gussets. The left end of the niche, probably the head end, shows a bust of the deceased in the Graeco-Roman style. On the left you can see the god Anubis in the form of a mummy with his insignia on his chest, as is otherwise known from Osiris. On the right side the grave lord is led by Anubis, Maat, goddess of justice, and Thoth to the enthroned Osiris.
The lowest register has five scenes: The first is the seated grave lord in front of a priest with an offering of water and incense, a sacrificial table and the tree goddess. In the next scene, the mummy of the deceased is held by Anubis. A victim-bearer follows with a box. In the fourth scene, the grave lord worships the four sons of Horus who protect his bowels. The last scene shows six men pulling the hearse with the mummy on it.
The southeast entrance wall is again filled with two registers. At the top there is a monkey shooting a bow, perhaps the creator and sky god Atum, and the sphinx-shaped sun and creation god Tithoes (also called tutu) on a pedestal. Underneath, a jackal-headed and a bes-shaped demon with knives were depicted. This wall was also filled with Udjat eyes and served to ward off disaster. The creation god Tithoes has only been in since the 26th dynasty Kalabsha occupied and only owns in Ismant el-Charab a temple dedicated to him.
At the blanket there is a simple zodiac with its twelve fields, which is held in the corners by kneeling goddesses in the presence of falcons and papyrus boats. In the middle the bust of a man was depicted, which probably represents a star like Jupiter or Saturn. The inscription contains the tomb lord's wish to arrive safely at Osiris in the realm of the dead.
Tomb of Petosiris
The 2 Tomb of Petosiris(25 ° 40 ′ 52 ″ N.28 ° 50 ′ 18 ″ E), P3-dj-3stjrt, is located to the right (east) of that of the Petubastis. It was laid out in the first or second century, later than that of Petubastis. The entrance leads to a first room, which is approx. 3.5 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 1.75 meters high. In the middle of the right (eastern) wall a passage leads into a second grave room, which is approx. 2 meters wide, 4.5 meters long and 1.65 meters high. In both grave rooms there are niches for the reception of the corpses. The representations are almost exclusively carried out in two registers. The actors stand on a baseline. The scenes are completed at the top with a starry sky.
The scenes from the left (south-west) entrance wall sit on the West wall away. In the upper register on the left side is the severely damaged grave lord in front of the goddess Maat. They are followed by six goddesses of the hour who pull the sun barge on which the ram-headed sun god is located. At the end of the barge, the rope is held by a ram-headed god and a goddess. At the right end of the wall the scribe god Thoth can be seen on a lion as well as a bes-figure god and a monkey, both of whom hold two knives. The lower register is introduced by seven gods with mummy bandages and soda bowls. This is followed by Anubis, the four sons of Horus, a goddess with the sun's eye and two sceptres in front of a cow goddess who is on a shrine with the mummy of the deceased and his Ba-Bird stands, and Ptah in the shrine.
In the center of the upper register of the North face, which was placed in a niche, is the laid out mummy of the tomb with the goddess Nephthys on the left and the goddess Isis on the right. On the narrow sides of the niche, women were depicted with a mummy bandage and a soda bowl. To the right of the niche is Horus, the conqueror of animals, on a turtle.
The lower register shows a winged man, on the left in front of him an enemy who has been hit by an arrow and on the right behind him a field goddess with gifts.
Now follows on the northern one East wall Perhaps the most interesting scene of the grave: the grave lord Petosiris is shown frontally, in the Graeco-Roman style, dressed in a tunic over the full height of the room. To the right of him, a man and a Nile god bring bowls of sacrificial bread. There is a vine between the last two people. The inscription on the left names the tomb lord's wish to become Osiris and to enter the realm of the dead.
To the right of the passage into the second burial chamber, the representation is again in two registers. Jackal- and human-headed worshipers in the upper register Ba-Birds the sun god (vignette for the Book of the Dead 16). The lower register is dedicated to the judgment of the dead. On the left, Horus and Anubis are holding the scales. To the left above the scales are the grave lord and the goddess Maat. The scribe god Thoth to the right of the scales documents the positive result of the judgment of the dead before the corpse eater and the god Osiris.
The southeastern one Entrance wall shows in the upper scene a crouching falcon on a shrine, underneath there are two female kneeling figures. In the lower register steps a sphinx, probably the sun and creator god Tithoes, and on his back are Horus and Thoth.
The Ceiling the first room is decorated with a zodiac. This zodiac and the one in the neighboring room are much more complex than the one in Petubastis' tomb. The circle, which is surrounded by a two-headed creature with a snake and crocodile head, is held by four winged goddesses in the presence of bulls' heads. The middle field shows the bust of a man (Saturn), the bust of a woman (Venus), the northern constellation, and below that the busts of two other men (Jupiter, Mercury).
The Reveals in the passage to the second burial chamber, serpent sticks and the snakes wear the upper and lower Egyptian crown.
The upper register of the West wall the second chamber are mirror images, for reasons of space the right scene is shortened: The Ba bird receives a water offering from Nephthys, behind the goddess there is a scarab as a symbol of rebirth and a jackal on a chest. In the lower register, the Horus falcon and the god Tithoes each stand on a pedestal.
The North face has a niche again in the area of the upper register. In it, Anubis stands at the laid mummy in the presence of the winged goddesses Nephthys and Isis. Below is a winged man, in front of whom there is a kneeling enemy on the left and a tied enemy on the right behind him.
In the southern part of the upper register of the East wall there is a niche again. On the northern part up to the niche, Petosiris, the grave lord, can be seen being led from Anubis to Osiris. Behind Osiris are Horus, Isis and Nephthys. In the niche you can recognize Anubis by the mummy laid out in front of Isis and Nephthys and two women with mummy bandages and soda bowls. On the left narrow side, a man in the gesture of veneration and the Isis knot amulet as a symbol of Isis, on the opposite narrow side, a worshiping man with a Djed pillar as a symbol of Osiris. On the far right, a snake with a lower Egyptian crown and a hippopotamus goddess follow.
In the lower register, Nephthys, Isis and Anubis sacrifice before Osiris, who is followed by Thoth. In the next scene, the grave lord worships a gate and its gatekeeper. Furthermore, an enemy is hit with an arrow by a monkey god. The conclusion is the barque of the god of the dead Sokar.
The upper register of the South wall shows two Ba-Birds that worship a vulture. Below is the weighing scene of the judgment of the dead again. In the presence of the dead-eater, the four sons of Horus, Thoth reports to Osiris about the positive result of the court decision.
On the upper register of the southern West wall receives the Ba-Bird a water sacrifice from Isis - on the other hand it is Nephthys. On the left you can see a scarab and a jackal on a box, on the right a Djed pillar and the Isis knot. In the lower register, a Nile god on the left and a field goddess on the right line a vine, a date palm, an olive tree and grain.
Also at the blanket In this room there is a zodiac held by four winged goddesses in the presence of eleven birds. A scarab and a morning bark with a scarab as a separator have been inserted between the animal signs. In the middle are the bust of a man (Saturn), the god Horus on two crocodiles and the bust of a woman (Venus) side by side. In the southwest part of the zodiac are the representations of Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and the moon (Luna). In the eastern part of the zodiac a winged Udjas eye with urea can be seen as a symbol of the moon.
kitchen
- El-Qasr Resthouse. Tel.: 20 (0)92 286 7013. The rest house is located in el-Qaṣr directly on the north side of the street. It has a back garden. Advance booking is recommended.
Accommodation
Accommodation is available in courage, in Qasr ed-Dachla, in Biʾr el-Gebel and along this road to Courage.
trips
It is advisable to visit Qārat el-Muzawwaqa with Qaṣr ed-Dāchla and Deir el-Ḥagar connect to.
literature
- : Monuments of the Dachla Oasis: from the estate of Ahmed Fakhry. Mainz: Babble, 1982, Archaeological publications; 28, ISBN 978-3-8053-0426-9 , Pp. 70–117, panels 20–50, 63, 70–74, in particular pp. 70–101, demotic graffiti found here are described on the remaining pages.
- : Roman in Life, Egyptian in Death: The Painted Tomb of Petosiris in the Dakhleh Oasis. In:Kaper, Olaf E. (Ed.): Life on the Fringe: living in the Southern Egyptian Deserts during the Roman and early-Byzantine periods. Suffer: Research School CNWS, 1998, CNWS publications; 71, ISBN 978-90-5789-015-4 , Pp. 253-270.
Individual evidence
- ↑Edmonstone, Archibald: A journey to two of oases of upper Egypt, London: Murray, 1822, p.47 f.
- ↑Drovetti, [Bernardino]: Journal d’un voyage à la vallée de Dakel, in: Cailliaud, Frédéric; Jomard, M. (ed.): Voyage à l’Oasis de Thèbes et dans les déserts situés à l’Orient et à l’Occident de la Thébaïde fait pendant les années 1815, 1816, 1817 et 1818, Paris: Imprimerie royale, 1821, pp. 99-105, especially p. 103.
- ↑Cailliaud, Frédéric: Voyage a Méroé, au fleuve blanc, au-delà de Fâzoql dans le midi du Royaume de Sennâr, a Syouah et dans cinq autres oasis ..., Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1826, volume 1, p. 221.
- ↑: Three months in the Libyan desert. Cassel: Fisherman, 1875, P. 131. Reprint Cologne: Heinrich-Barth-Institut, 1996, ISBN 978-3-927688-10-0 .
- ↑Winlock, H [erbert] E [ustis]: Ed Dākhleh Oasis: Journal of a camel trip made in 1908, New York: Metropolitan Museum, 1936, pp. 35 f., Plot XXIX – XXX.
Web links
- Deir Abu Metta and Muzawwaqa, Dakhleh Oasis, Dakhleh Oasis Project
