Amenophis Son of Hapu
Image: Honored during his
lifetime with statues such as this one, and with his own
mortuary temple,Amenophis Son of Hapu, the master architect
of Amenophis III, was deified after his life and venerated
both for his wisdom and healing powers. Black granite
statue, from Karnak. Egyptian Museum. Cairo.
Mythology of Amenophis Son
of Hapu
Amenophis Son of Hapu
was born in the Delta town of Athribis c. 1430 BC and rose
to distinction as a royal scribe and overseer of all the
king's works under Amenophis III. He appears to have moved
to the royal court at Thebes in about 1390 BC
and lived there until a man of venerable age, having
directed the construction of some of the greatest
architectural wonders produced in ancient Egypt. Amenophis'
works included not only the planning and construction of
great monuments in the area of Thebes - such as the mortuary
temple of Amenophis III and its great Colossi of Memnon -
but also the temple of Soleb in Nubia and temples in other
areas of the realm. Accorded great honor during his
lifetime, after his death Amenophis was deified for his
wisdom and in later periods for his healing powers. In these
roles he was paired during Ptolemaic times, in Thebes at
least, with Imhotep, the legendary 3rd-dynasty architect of
Djoser.
Iconography of
Amenophis Son of Hapu
As a deified person Amenophis Son
of Hapu was depicted only in human form. During his lifetime
several granite statues were set up showing him as a scribe in
the temple of Amun at Karnak (fine examples are now in the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Luxor Museum) and he appeared
in a beautifully carved scene in the tomb of his relative, the
vizier Ramose, at Thebes. The son of Hapu lived to be 80 years
old, and a statue of him as an elderly official
survives.
Worship of Amenophis Son of
Hapu
Unlike the more widely spread
veneration of Imhotep, the worship of Amenophis Son of Hapu was
limited mainly to the Theban area that can be seen to have
grown in two stages. Even in his lifetime his importance led to
the erection of a funerary cult temple next to that of
Amenophis III on the west bank of Thebes. While small compared
to the temple of the king, Amenophis' own monument was still of
considerable size and larger than the temples of some kings in
the same area. It was also the only private cult temple
situated among the royal monuments in this location. A 21st
Dynasty copy of a royal decree pertaining to the Son of Hapu's
temple indicates that his cult continued to be celebrated for
at least three centuries after his death. The veneration of the
deified Amenophis as a god of wisdom and healing also saw a
resurgence in the Ptolemaic Period. Together with Imhotep
chapels were dedicated to him in the temple of Hathor at Deir
el-Medina and in Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari. The
statues erected for him in the temple of Amun at Karnak were
also utilized as intermediaries with Amun, and prayers were
offered to them.
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