Malqata

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In Egypt on the shore of the river Nile near present-day Luxor lies the site of Malqata, a palace of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The palace was built in the 14th century BC and its ancient name was Per-Hai, "House of Rejoicing".

1 Archaeological excavations
2 Layout of the palace
3 Palace decorations
4 History of the palace
5 Bibliography

[edit] Archaeological excavations

The Metropolitan Museum of Art started excavation in 1910 and continued until about 1920. The University Museum of Pennsylvania started its own excavation in 1970. Finally, the Waseda University Mission took over in 1985 and is still excavating Malqata today.

[edit] Layout of the palace

The palace contained many audience halls, central halls, courtyards, villas and smaller palace complexes for the king's family, and apartments for cabinet members. A harbor and canal connected the palace with the Nile, allowing easy travel across river to the city of Thebes situated on the East Bank. There is little evidence of this lake today, and little but the foundations of the palace itself remain.

The King's Apartments featured a bedroom, a dressing room, a private audience chamber, and a harem, which, after the reign of Amenhotep III, was used simply for storage. The palace had a central courtyard, and across from the king's rooms were apartments for his daughters and son. His Great Royal Wife, Tiye, had her own smaller palace complex diagonally across from the King's. The palace grounds contained gardens, and a large pleasure lake.

Remains of a temple of Amun to the north of the palace, but still in the complex, have been found. Also, a "desert altar" on the outskirts of the ruins has been excavated. Other remains of a temple to the goddess Isis lies south of the main palace complex.

Malqata was managed by a veritable army of servants and staff. Remains of kitchens, near the king's chamber, have been found, and servant's quarters. The palace was in itself almost like a city, with officials in charge of different sections such as the gardens and the different apartments and quarters.

[edit] Palace decorations

Fragments of plastered wall paintings have given archaeologists a glimpse of how the palace was decorated. Various paintings of the goddess Nekhbet made up the ceiling of the king's bedchamber. The walls were decorated with scenes of wildlife - flowers, reeds and animals in the marshes, and decorative geometric designs complete with rosettes. Ornate wood columns painted like lilies supported the ceilings. In the palace archaeologists also found some pictures of queen Tiye.

[edit] History of the palace

The palace seems to have been begun by Amenhotep III in the early 14th century BC, and the site was occupied as late as the Roman-Byzantine Period. Malqata was most definitely Amenhotep's main residence in Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt, and therefore probably his main palace in all of the country. Remains of other smaller palaces in Thebes and other cities across Egypt have been found, but none as large as Amenhotep's palace at Malqata.

Malqata was abandoned by Akhenaten, Amenhotep III's son and successor, when he moved the capital to his new city at Amarna. However, it may have been inhabited again by Tutankhamen, when the traditional religion, and capital, were restored. Tutankhamen's successor Ay probably inhabited it briefly, and King Horemheb after him, but obviously by the ascension of Ramses II, it was simply a minor residence, as the capital was moved to Pi-Ramesses in the far north.