The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut in Karnak temple Luxor Egypt

Facts, History, Layout | Architectural Design, inscriptions & decorations and more about Egypt Temples in Open-Air Museum Karnak.

One of the top tourist attractions is the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut at the Open-Air Museum, Karnak temple, Luxor.  We will introduce in briefly About Hatshepsut and why she is very famous in ancient Egyptian History. Meanwhile, her red chapel at Karnak has a very unique Barque shrine and it is so important.

All Egypt tour packages or Nile Cruises include Karnak temple in the itinerary. However, Egypt tours, and Luxor Tours from Hurghada and Marsa Alam include the temple as a source of information about the Ancient Egyptian civilization during the New Kingdom.

Who was Pharoah Hatshepsut?

Hatshepsut was the fifth Pharoah of the eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egyptian history. Meanwhile, one of the most successful Egyptian Pharaohs such as Ramesses II, Thutmose III, and Akhenaten. Queen Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharoah Thutmose I with his royal wife Ahmose and half-sister of Pharoah Thutmose II.

Hatshepsut’s name means Foremost of Noble Ladies. Although, she is the only female character who ruled Egypt for a very long time almost 23 years. Together with two more Great Female Rulers of Ancient Egypt Merneith (2^nd dynasty) and Sobekneferu (12^th dynasty). Hatshepsut was the second historically confirmed female pharaoh after Sobekneferu.

Queen Hatshepsut has a very nice tomb in the Valley of the Kings KV 20 as a Pharoah and is believed by many Egyptologists to have been the oldest in the Valley of the Kings. Meanwhile, Hatshepsut added parts to Luxor temple, and her temple at Deir El Bahari together with her Obelisks are among Karnak highlights.

How to get to the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut?

If you are visiting the Karnak temple, you will cross the Karnak harbor then you will reach the temple through Sphinx Avenue. Once you pass the first Pylon, you will find yourself in the open court, and walk 300 meters to the huge stage of Ramesses II before the Second Pylon. Turn left and go straight away to the Open-Air Museum, you will find the Red Chapel facing the Sekhmet statues.

How much does it cost to visit Red Chapel?

The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut is included in the standard ticket of the Karnak temple means it is a free place to visit together with the white Chapel of Senusert I and Ptah temple.

Opening hours to visit the Red chapel?

All day long from 06.00 am to 17.00 pm.

Facts About the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut

1. The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut was rebuilt in the open-air Museum in Karnak Luxor in 2001 by the Supreme Council of Antiquities
2. Red chapel stones were used to fill the third Pylon built by Amenhotep III at Karnak on Luxor east bank
3. 3^rd Pylon collapsed after an earthquake at the end of the 19^th century and in 1924 and during the restoration work, Henri Chevrier found 951 blocks from the Red Chapel.
4. Barque shrine, which was the purpose of the Red Chapel built by Hatshepsut
5. Some scholars believe that the Red chapel was standing between her Obelisks and there is no proof of that
6. the Franco-Egyptian Center, directed by Francois Larche started to reconstruct the chapel in March 2000 and they finished in 2002
7. 40% of the original blocks of the Red Chapel are missing and that was the reason why they cut modern blocks from the same quarries to stimulate the original ones
8. The Red chapel has inscriptions from the Opet Festival

Hatshepsut Red Chapel

The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut was built of limestone, with doorways of black granite and walls of red quartzite, from the quarry known as the red mountain. The two-roomed chapel (consisting of a vestibule and a sanctuary) was raised on a grey diorite platform and accessed by short ramps on either side. Hatshepsut started the construction of the red chapel in the 17th year of her reign. The chapel measures 7.2m high, 15m long, and 6.5m wide.

The Red Chapel is divided into two rooms, with a low plinth in the larger of the two chambers that were used as a base for the barque of Amun Ra. In the center of the chapel was a drain for the waters used in absolution during the celebration.

The decoration of the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut

The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut has rich decorations that show the relationship between the Queen and the gods. Besides, some of the famous religious festivals such as the Opet Festival.

1. Some scenes show Queen Hatshepsut with her husband Thutmose II in front of Amun Ra
2. Queen Hatshepsut recorded on the walls of the Red Chapel the number of the Barque chapels she erected along the Avenue of Sphinxes between Luxor and Karnak
3. There are inscriptions of shaven-headed priests while carrying the sacred boats.
4. Also, inscriptions of Queen Hatshepsut performing religious dances in front of her king Thutmose III
5. Some women carry harps and musical instruments while playing them during the Opet Festival
6. Inscriptions show some male and female dancers performing acrobatic movements while walking through the Sphinx Avenue
7. Red Chapel has inscriptions for the introductory song written on the walls of the red chapel of Queen Hatshepsut in the open museum in the temples of Karnak, and it was sung at the beginning of the procession
8. The exterior sides include scenes showing the raising of Hatshepsut’s obelisks in the Wadjet Hall
9. The Chapel’s base has a decorative kheker frieze and a series of kneeling Nile gods and female figures with offerings
10. Scenes from the beautiful festival of the Valley

Conclusion

The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut and The White Chapel of pharaoh Senusret I are between the top tourist attractions of the Karnak complex and are a must-see if you are there. Karnak temple is a mix of pylons, chapels, a sacred lake, Obelisks, and shrines. It is like an open book for and source of ancient Egyptian history during the New Kingdom. If you have time and care for our advice, kindly read more about what you can see at Karnak temple and how you can make your visit memorable. Here is what you can see

The Barque shrines of Ramesses III

The White Chapel of pharaoh Senusret I

The Great Hypostyle Hall

Sacred Lake

Botanical Garden

Hatshepsut Obelisks

Taharqa Kiosk

Barque Shrine of Alexander the Great

Mut temple

Khonsu temple

Ptah temple