. . . This white
limestone barque station was constructed during the reign of the
Pharaoh Senwosret I . He ruled during a time of relative peace and
prosperity in the 12th Dynasty from 1971-1926 BC. It is now considered
a magnificent example of Middle Kingdom Architecture. The carved
pillars of polished limestone are stunning to behold. This building was
erected to honor the Senwosret I's Sed festival. As beautiful as this
building is to us today, the pharaohs of the 18th dynasty considered it
disposable. They dismantled it and used it as fill for the foundations
of the 3rd pylon. It was uncovered during the excavation of this pylon
between 1927 and 1938 AD. It was reconstructed and now stands in the
Open Air Museum at Karnak.
. .
. . The cartouches of
the Pharaoh. On the top is his throne name
Kheperkare, The Soul Of
Ra Comes Into Being. On the bottom we see his birth name Senwosret or Man of The Goddess Wosret.
.
. The details of
the polished limestone glyphs is remarkable.
We may owe the fine condition of this monument to the fact it was
dismantled and not destroyed by the workers of the 18th Dynasty. Buried
under the 3rd pylon as if in storage for over 3000 years.
The next photograph is
A Panoramic
View of Karnak.
. . 
