Egypt Exploration Society

Domestic Shrines and the Cult of the Royal Family at el-'Amarna

Author(s): Salima Ikram
Source: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 75 (1989), pp. 89-101
Published by: Egypt Exploration Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3821901
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89

DOMESTIC SHRINES AND THE CULT OF THE

ROYAL FAMILY AT EL-'AMARNA*
By SALIMA IKRAM
A discussion of the garden shrines found in the enclosures of the houses of Tell el-'Amarna leads to the conclution that they were dedicated to the royal family as intermediaries between the citizen and Aten.

IN the gardens of many of the houses at el- 'Amarna lay small constructions that have
in the past been dubbed chapels, kiosks, garden houses or even birth houses
(mammisi).1It is unfortunate that they have hitherto escaped the study that they
deserve. This might be partially blamed upon the lack of interest that many of the
early excavators displayed towards subsidiary buildings. In their publications,2there
are virtually no lists of where specific objects were found, and occasionally the only
record of a chapel is in the general site plans, without any mention in the text. For
this study, some material had to be gleaned from such plans and from unpublished
material;this is particularlythe case for the North City, records of which survive in
the archives of the Egypt Exploration Society.
I have been able to recognize forty-six such buildings in the city, which can be
divided into five types: I-Simple, II-Bipartite, III-Temples, IV-Altars and VMiscellaneous.
TypeI - Simpleshrines
This is the most common type of shrine, numberingeighteen in all. The plan shows a
sloping flight of stairs,leading up to a platform,upon which is a walled room. The latter
might containan altarof brickor limestone(fig.Ia).These chapelsare often separatedfrom
the mainpartof the house gardenby a wall and are surroundedby trees.There follows a list
of such shrines.with mentionof anv variationsin the basicplan.
*This paper has its origins in a Cambridge University Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology M. Phil.
thesis, supervised by Mr. Barry J. Kemp, to whom my thanks are due for suggesting the topic and much help
and advice during its preparation. I must also thank Dr. Patricia Spencer for access to the Egypt Exploration
Society's unpublished excavation records, the Committee of the EES for permission to use plans originally
published in its memoirs, and Miss Helen Grassley for preparing the isometric reconstructions featured in fig.
3. Lastly, but by no means least, I must express my deep gratitude to Mr. Aidan Dodson, without whose
counsel, encouragement and practical assistance this paper would never have seen the light of day.
'There can be no question of their having been the latter,particularly since they contain no scenes relating to
birth, cf. B. J. Kemp, JEA 65 (1979),47-53, and are placed in areas not generally associated with mammisi.They
could be called garden houses without compromising a status as chapels, given that an appreciation of Nature,
Aten's creation, constituted a large part of the religion.
2L. Borchardt and H.
Ricke, Die Wohnhduserin Tell El-Amarna(Berlin, I980) (Wohnh); T. E. Peet and C. L.
Woolley; H. Frankfort and J. D. S. Pendlebury; J. D. S. Pendlebury, The City of Akhenaten i-Hi(London,
I923-I951)(CoA); also preliminary reports in MDOG and JEA.

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SALIMA IKRAM

90

Shrine

Area
(m2)

Entered

Pylon

from

Material
(Brick/

JEA 75
House

House

Near

size

Shrine

Water

Stone)
N 48.I3

N 49.I04

tiny
II

N 50.I75

B
B

Lg.
Lg.

SE

Med.

0 48.I16

SE

Med.

048.I77

NW
NW
E
NW
E

B
B
B
BS
B

Lg.
Lg.
Lg
Med.
Lg.

B
BS
S
B

Med.
Lg.
Lg.
Lg.

B
B
B

Lg.
Med.
Lg.
?
Med.

0 49.9/108
0 49.239
0 47.2210
047.3211

P 48.212
Q 46.i13
Q 46.214
R 44.Ib15

6
II
24

6
20
8

E
SE
SE
S

Y
Y

Y
Y

T 34.ia16

24

T36.518

15

W
E
E

U 25.419
U 36.5420

N/S

25

T 35.917

NE
SE

Y
Y
Y

Y
Y

Y
Y
Y
Y

Y
Y
Y

Y
Y
Y

N 48.I Objects:fragmentsof statuesof Akhenatenand Nefertiti.

N 50.17 There is a small rectangulararea on the left side of the chapel which might have
been for storage,or alternativelya strongsupportingwall.
0 48.II/I2 Objects: fragments of statues of the royal family.
' Wohnh, I7I, stpl. iv, plan 52. In this and following tables, area figures are taken, in the main, from P. T.
at el-Amarna
(Cambridge,unpublishedM.Phil.
Crocker,SocialandSpatialGrouping
amongtheDomesticQuarters
dissertation,I984).Under 'House Size', a 'L(ar)g(e)'house is takento be one whose compoundarea exceeds
330m2and a 'Med(ium)'one has a correspondingareaof betweenI90 and 330m2.'Y'indicatesthe presenceof a
feature,a blankmeans no recordedevidenceof such. A 'House Shrine'is any such structureinsidethe house;
'NearWater'indicateswells or ponds in the nearbygarden.
Objectslisted were found in, or close to, the shrinesin question;it is generallyunclearfrom the excavator's
notes exactlywhereobjectswerefound.
4 CoA I, 20, plan i.
5 Wohnh,
306, stpl. vi, plan 10.
' Wohnh,207-9, plan 60.
7CoA 1, 28, plan i.
' Wohnh,246, stpl. v, plan 78.

CoA 1, 17, plan i.

10 Wohnh, I31, stpl. iii, plan 32; Borchardt, MDOG 55 (1914), 14-I6.
I CoA i,
35, plan ii.
12 Wohnh,217-9, stpl. iii, plan 63.
1. Wohnh, 23, stpl. i, plan 2, pl. I-3.
'4 Wohnh,28, stpl. iii., plan 3.
lF.Ll. Griffith,EES Field Notebook, I923-4.
6 CoA H1,64, pi. xxii [6]; F. LI. Griffith,JEA 17 (I93I), 237,pl. lxxiv.
17CoA 11, pl. vii.
41,
8sCoA 11,50, plan ix.
'1 EES North City House Record Cards.
2oCoA 1I,25, plan iv.

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i989

DOMESTIC SHRINES AND THE CULT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY

91

O 49.9/10 Objects:a bunch of faience grapes, of the type generally found used as roof
decoration.
O 49.23 Objects:fragmentof limestonestela,showing the king offeringto Aten.
P 48.2 Objects:fragmentof limestonestatueof royalfamily.
Q 46.I Objects:reliefof king worshippingAten.
T 34.Ia Of unusualform, in that an exit at the rear led to a set of altars(see T 34.ib,under
Type III).Containeda platformfor a stela or statue(fig. ib).
Objects:fragmentsof limestonestelaeand otherfragmentsshowingAten and the pharaoh.
TypeII - Bipartiteshrines
There are fourteenexamples of this type. They are very similarto Type I in plan, but are
bipartite.A sloping flight of steps leads to an anteroomor verandah,followed by the cella
(fig.ic). Column bases and fragmentsof some of the columns themselves have been found
in conjunctionwith the shrines.Many of these chapels lay in separatecompounds attached
to the house.
Shrine

Area

Entered

(m2)

from

Pylon

Material

House

House

Near

(Brick/

size

Shrine

Water

Lg.
Med.

Y
Y

Stone)
M 50/5I.I21

18

Q44.I23

24

Lg.

5
21

B
B
B

Lg.
Lg.
Med.

39

W
E
E

I6

Med.

3
I8

E
E

B
B

Med.
Med.
Lg.

N 47.622

T 33.I24

T 33.925

T 35.2I26
T 36.I27
T 36.2328
T 36.3729

U 37.Ia32
U 37.IC32

V 37.633

B
S

29

8
23

W
W

B
B

U25.II30

U 36.I531

SE
NW

Med.
Lg.
Lg.

Y
Y

Med.

T 35.2IThe largestof its Type, built over an earliersquarestructure.A brickramp leads to

the courtof the chapel.Steps lead down into it and then to a shrineof the usual type.
21 Wohnh,280, stpl. vi, plan
22

93.

Wohnh,68, stpl.ii, plan 21.

23
Griffith, JEA IO (I924), 290, pl. xxv.
24 CoA
II, 68, pl. x, xxiv [3].

25 CoA II, 70-I, pl. x.

26 CoA
II, 47, pl. viii; EES Record Sheets.
27 CoA
II, 24, pl. iv; Frankfort,JEA 15 (I929), I45-6.
28 CoA
II, 49-50, pl ix.
29 CoA
II, 44, pl. viii, xiv; Griffith, JEA 17, 234-5, pl. lxix; EES
30Pendlebury, JEA I8 (I932), I45, pl. xv; EES Record Sheets.
31 CoA
II, 20, pl. iv.
32 CoA II,
13, pl. iii.
33CoA
II, 9, pl. iii.

Record Sheets.

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SALIMAIKRAM

92

YEA 75

Objects: stela of Akhenaten and his daughters.

T 36.II A typical example; two column bases found, together with bunch of grapes from
ceiling.
T 36.37 Pylons adorned the entrance to the courtyard and the path leading to the chapel, of
normal type.
Objects: limestone stela with Aten-rays; pottery head of a woman.
U25.II Objects: limestone stela of Akhenaten offering to Aten.
U 37.Ia& c Objects: head of a princess and fragments of statues recovered from nearby
well.
TypeIII - Temples
'Temples', in the context of shrines within private house-enclosures, are distinguished by
their much greater complexity, as compared with other types, resembling proper cult
temples. They are very rare in Amarna houses, only three being known, each differing in
plan:-

a. Type I

b. T 34.Ia

c. Type II
HO U3SE7

d. P 47.10
I

-l

e. R442

f. U 25.7a

g. U 37.Ib

h. L 50.9

FIG.I. a, d after Borchardt;b, c, f, g after Pendlebury et al.; e, h courtesy B. J. Kemp.

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I989 DOMESTICSHRINESAND THE CULT OF THE ROYALFAMILY 93

P 47.I034 The extantplan is incomplete(fig.id). This is probablythe main partof a temple,
The structureis raised up on a
the subsidiarybuildingsdoubtless destroyed by sebakeen.
platformand is approximatelyrectangular,with the main side facing south-west.This is
flankedat its north-westernand south-easternends by large pillars/piers.In front of the
south-easternside lie two hook-shapedtongues, which flankeda flightof stairs.The stairs
gave access to a largeroom, which leads to anotherof almostequal size, with a platformat
the back;this was presumablythe altar.It seems that the front room, with the piers, could
have been roofed.No such indicationssurvivein the second room.
R 44.235 This structure is the most like a traditionaltemple of any private chapel in
Akhetaten(fig.ie). Its entranceis separatefrom that of the house, the forecourtentered
througha pylon, giving access to the main temple enclosure.Here, a smallerset of pylons
lead to the main templeitself.The approachto the latterwas flankedby two low brickwalls,
probably with a two-pillaredportico on each side of the entrance.The temple itself
consisted of a single cella, with a narrowsurroundingpassage. Small store-chambers(or
areas of worship?)led off the passage on the northernand southernsides. The building
had cemented floors and was most probably roofed, since the walls were quite high
(preserved to a height of o.6 m). Furthermore,the northern and southern walls were
buttressed,with the implicationof the need to supporta roof.
Objects:fragmentsof a limestone offeringtable, of statues of the king and queen and of
stelae showing the royal family offeringto Aten. A head of Akhenatenfrom the shrine is
Copenhagen,Ny Carlsberg,iEIN I640.
U.25.736 Unique for its type in being built of stone (fig.if). The first courtwas enteredfrom

the west by a path set betweenbrickkerbs.In the south-easterncornerwas what might be

termedthe 'vestry'.A pathgives access to the second court,througha set of massivepylons.
In this court,two mud columns flankedthe path,perhapsintendedto carryflags.A second
set of pylons marked the entrance to the main courtyard,which contained the chapelproper.The entranceto the latterwas markedby two circularmud bases, which flankedit.
The chapelis of bipartitetype, but is placedin Type IIIby virtueof the elaborateapproach.
Objects:columnsand pieces of cornice.
TypeIV- Altars
Simplealtarsare found in a few cases and althoughthe basic idea of a raisedplatformis the
same in all, execution varies. The general plan consists of a raised brick platformfor
offerings,approachedby steps. There is no evidencefor any type of superstructure,though
it is possible thata smallerportableofferingtablewas placedupon the platform.Otherwise,
the altarsmay have supporteda limestonestelaor statue.
T 34.ib34The garden containsa simple shrine (see above and fig. ib), behind which stand
two mud brickaltars.It is probable,though,thattherewas a thirdaltarwhichhas been completely destroyed.The approachto the altarswas flankedby trees. The altarsare of the

.4 Wohnh,III-I2,
stpl. iii, plan 28.
3)Griffith, yEA 10, 302, pl. xxxiii; JEA I7, I82, pl. xxvi; EES Notebook.
'3 Griffith,
yEA 17, 240-I, pl. lxxvi, lxxvii [4]; EES Record Sheets.
37 CoA
n, 64, pl. xxi [6]; Griffith, JEA I7, 237, pl. lxxiv, Ixxv [4].

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94

SALIMAIKRAM

JEA 75

above constructionwith the middle one, includingits steps, paintedred in frontand whitewashed at the back. The smaller altarwas painted blue and white, the steps white with
stripes of blue, yellow and red. These were open air altarsand perhapsdedicatedto Aten
(central),Akhenatenand Nefertiti (side altars) (but cf. below, Dedication).Similar altars
appearin the Aten temple38and at the Desert Altars.
Objects:fragmentsof limestone stela decoratedwith a scene of Aten worship;this could
havecome fromthe simple shrine.
U 37.Ib40Againstthe west wall of the house, an altarof mouldedmud brick standsupon a
slightlyraised small platform.It was the only altarphysicallyattachedto a house. There is
no recordedevidence for stairsleadingup to the platform;it probablysupporteda stela or
statue.The plan indicatesthatan offeringtablestood in frontof it (cf.U 37.Ia,c) (fig.ig).
Objects:the head of a princessand fragmentsof statuarywere foundin an adjoiningwell.
TypeV - Miscellaneous
A few shrines do not easily fit into any of the above categories,eitherbecause theirplan is
complexand uniqueor becauseso very littleof theirplanremains.
L 50.94'This chapel has flower beds and a water source behind it. The survivingplan is
peculiarand consists of the base of a platformon which the shrinestood.It is impossibleto
tell what the whole shrine looked like. The size and complexitysuggest that it was of the
Bipartiteform (fig.ih).
Objects:two headlesssandstonestatuesof (presumably)Akhenatenand Nefertiti.
M 47.I42The shrine was located in a court of its own. According to the excavators,it
consistedof a small rectangularbrick structure,reachedby a flightof stairs,which was the
foundationfor a light wooden chapel.A small pylon or narrowterracestood at the front,
above the stairs.In the pedestal-filling,two sectionsof foundationswere laid out lengthwise:
the excavators believed that these served as supports for the floor. An alternative
reconstructionis that this was a tripartiteshrine,the stone foundationsbeing very regular
and meetingprotrudingbits of mud brickthatemergefromthe frontof the chapel(fig.2a).
Objects:head of a woman.
O 49.I43 An area for stairs leads to an entrancelevel, beyond which stood a verandah,
markedby a set of squarepillars;this leads in turnto a room containinga shrine(fig.2b).It
was plasteredinside, and painted with scenes showing the pharaohofferingto Aten. A
bunch of faiencegrapeswas found here.On the left of the shrineis anothersmall room, for
whose possibleparallelsee N 50.17.In theirreconstruction,the excavatorsbelievedit to have
consisted of a flight of steps leading to an entrancearea,giving access in turn to a small
porch,its roof supportedby two squarepillars.Behindthe porch lay a roofedchambercontaininga stela.44

3<s
N. de G. Davies, Rock Tombsof El Amarna,vi (London, I908), pl. xix-xx.
3, A. Badawy, Ilistory of EgyptianArchitecture,in (Berkeley, I968), 96; CoA I,
IOI-3.
40CoA II,
I3, pl. iii, xix [2].
41Griffith,
JEA IO,303, pl. xxxiv-v; JEA I7, I79 if, pl. xxiii-iv.
42 Wohnh,
53-4, stpl. ii, iv, plan 15, pl. iva.
43 Wohnh,
240, stpl. v, plan 75, abb. 35a.
44 Wohnh,
240.

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1989 DOMESTICSHRINESAND THE CULT OF THE ROYALFAMILY 95

L..

A
/

b. 0 49.I

a. M 47.I

c. P 47I9
N --

d. P 47.17

e. T35.12

f. T35.19

FIG.2. a-d after Borchardt;e-g after Pendlebury et al.

However, as an alternative,one may reconstruct a flight of stairs leading to an entry area,

marked by a low screen wall, behind which lay the porch, with two mud brick pillars, which
did not extend across the whole front of the shrine. Behind this lay the cella, on whose left
side lay a small room for storage.
P 47.I745 This structure stands in a separate courtyard whose entrance is marked by pylons.
It is similar to the bipartite chapels, except as regards the proportional ratio verandah:room,
hence its inclusion in the Miscellaneous category. A square room stands on a pedestal,
reached by a flight of stairs. The former's entry is marked by large, almost pylon-like, piers
which probably supported a roof, thereby creating a small porch at the central entrance to
the shrine (fig. 2d). The interior of the chapel was plastered and decorated with paintings of
the royal family offering to Aten.
P 47.I946A pylon leads to a court, behind which are the foundations for a chapel. Nothing of
the latter'splan can be clearly determined from the remains (fig. 2c).
45 Wohnh,II8, stpl. iii, plan pl. 7-8.
31,
46 Wohnh,stpl. iii, plan I9.

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SALIMAIKRAM

96

YEA75

R 44.Ia47No plan survives of this chapel, called R 44.IC in the field notebooks. It was in an
independent courtyard and garden attached to R 44.I, which also contains a chapel (R 44.Ib)
in its main garden. It was partially or completely constructed out of limestone.
Objects: limestone doorjamb with an inscription to Aten; limestone statue bases and
fragments of statues, possibly of the king and queen.
T 35.I248 This chapel belongs to house T 35.I6 and seems to be an elaboration on the basic
bipartite shrine. A flight of stairs with piers at the top leads to a verandah which is followed
by a small plastered and whitewashed room, containing an altar.There might have been a
walkway/colonnade around the exterior of the small room, but we cannot be sure of this,
given the limited information available (fig. 2e).
Objects: fragments of statues.
T 35.I949 The remains of this chapel show a back room (cella), the beginning of a porch and
a small side room on the left of the naos (cf. 0 49.1 and N 50.I17).It was probably a bipartite
shrine with a side room (fig. 20.
Objects: fragments of a painted limestone relief showing Akhenaten making offerings to
Aten.
U 25.7b50The chapel seems to have been square with two square piers. It fell into disuse
quite early on and was replaced by U 25.7a.No reconstruction is possible due to limited
information.

The form of the shrines

The outside chapels are somewhat similar to the house altars which are generally
found in the central rooms of Amarna houses. In general, internal altars consist of a
small brick platform, its perimeter marked by a low wall, with a small flight of steps
leading up to it.51A space for a stela or statue exists upon the platform.House P 47.22
contains a classic example of such an internal shrine, also possessing a chapel in the
garden. These internal constructions are not unique to Amarna: they have been
found in the Theban workmen's village of Deir el-Medina, as well as in the houses
near the mortuary temple of Ay and Horemheb.52
These latter are mentioned because they may be of help in reconstructing the
form of the external

altars and chapels,

Seton Lloyd probably

deriving

his JEA

i9

reconstruction of the Amarna garden chapel from the Amarna internal shrines,
especially

that of Panehsi. This, the most complete,

and therefore most helpful house

altar, was found in his 'Official Residence'. It was made of stone and consisted of a
square platform of limestone blocks set against the wall, with a miniature stairway
leading up to it. The shrine's entrance was adorned with a broken lintel inscribed
with figures of the royal family and Aten. Two little walls connected the entrance
47Griffith,EES Notebook.

x CoA

II, 39-40,

pl. vii.

4(JCoA In,

46-7, pl. viii, xxx, xliv.

0Griffith,JEA I7,
240; EES Record Sheets.
51Wohnh, taf. I8.
47,
52U. Holscher, The ExcavationofMedinet Ilabu, Ii
(Chicago, I939), 69.

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1989 DOMESTIC SHRINES AND THE CULT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY 97

wall to the back of the room, thus forming the sides of the shrine. A statue of the king
probably stood inside the shrine, since fragments of sculpture were found there.53
If one were to use this shrine as a guide to reconstructing the garden chapels, one
would have to say that they were open to the sky, with low walls marking the
perimeter of the platform and a broken lintel at the entrance. This may have been the
case in one or two: it was definitely not the norm. The bits of columns, cornices and
faience grapes all indicate partial or complete roofing. The preserved height of the
walls is considerable and, as this was only a portion of their total height, it is
improbable that the shrines had their perimeters marked merely by low walls.
Unfortunately, given the nature of the evidence, it is very difficult to present a firm,
verifiable, reconstruction of the shrines. Nevertheless, in spite of the paucity of the
evidence, an attempt at reconstructing the various types will be made.

Reconstructions
Although in a few examples the walls of chapels were preserved up to as high as
0.7 m (and in one case nearly 1.0 m), the vast majority are represented by little more

than ground plans; thus, reconstructions must be attempted if one is to deal realistically with them.

TypeI
There are three possible reconstructions:
i. Chapel raised on a quadrangularplatform fronted by a stairway, and consisting
of a walled and roofed chamber with an altar in the middle (fig. 3a). Evidence for this
reconstruction lies in the basic preserved ground plans. A roof is included since
faience grapes, commonly used to decorate the roofs of Amarna houses were found
in chapel 0 49.9/10. It also represents a simple and economical design, which may
explain the prevalence of this type of chapel. Furthermore, such a closed chapel will
have offered some protection for the reliefs, paintings and statues housed within.
2. Chapel raised on a quadrangular platform fronted by a stairway. Superstructure consists of a walled area with low walls marking the perimeter of the platform.
There are small columns, supporting an architrave, set in the walls (fig. 3b). The
evidence for such a reconstruction is sparse, though being similar to that favoured by
the excavators of the site.54The reason that the chapel was thought to be roofless was
that the only way to worship a solar deity (Aten) was seen as by having the shrine
open to the sky. Furthermore, no evidence of roofing material (matting, etc.), was
found. This does not, however, mean that there was none: such material is of a
perishable nature and therefore may not have been picked up by the excavation
techniques of the time. Also, as the shrines were of minor importance and the site
was excavated in a hurry, it is quite possible that surviving evidence was lost or
destroyed during excavation.
3 CoA III, 26, pl. xxx-xxxi
[6]; Frankfort,JEA 13(I927),
$4SetonLloyd, JEA 19 (I933), 2, pl. ii.

211-13,pl. xlv [2, 3], xlvii.

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jEA 75

SALIMAIKRAM

98

c. Type I

d. Type 11
Fi(;. 3. Reconstructions by H. Grassley.

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1989 DOMESTIC SHRINES AND THE CULT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY

99

A problem with such a reconstruction is the preservation of walls up to a height of

nearly 1.0 m, only a proportion of their original height; anything much higher would
seem unlikely for a screen wall.
3. As described at i., except that the walls of the entrance are low and had brick
piers in front to support the roof (fig. 3c). Being of mud brick, such piers could have
disappeared; they would seem more aesthetically pleasing on a small shrine than a
solid wall.

TypeII
Three possible reconstructions are proposed.
i. Chapel 'raised on a rectangular socle fronted by a stairway and it consists of a
minute pillared porch (column bases have been found in situ in some shrines)
fronted by screen walls, and a roofless shrine with an altarto the Aten'.55Between the
shrine and the porch or colonnade, a broken lintel would occur; the roof of the
colonnade would have a cavetto cornice.56
This is the most popular reconstruction for shrines of this type. However, there
are problems with it: there is absolutely no evidence for the broken lintels, although
one or two pieces of cavetto cornice were found in the areas surrounding chapels
which could have come, however, from the house. As in the case of Type I, one
cannot make a firm statement as to the roofing of these buildings.
2. Chapel as above, except that both cella and verandah will have been roofed,
without any broken lintel (fig. 3d). Comparable buildings, albeit on a rather larger
scale, would be the chapel of Amenophis III at Elephantine57and that illustrated in
the Theban tomb of Ipuy (TT 217, time of Ramesses II).58
3. As in i., but without the broken lintel.

General
Out of the above, the most plausible ones for Type I would seem to be either 2 or 3.
The essential difference between them is the presence of a roof, the same going for
the options for the reconstruction of Type II.
Roofs are suggested for Type I by the appearance of faience grapes,59 the
preserved height of the walls, and the presence of statues and stelae which might be
in need of protection. It is possible that the single example of grapes could have
come from the nearby house and that the walls are preserved to near their original
height. Also, on the evidence of the great Aten temples, sculpture need not be
protected by roofs. Thus, it is quite possible that the shrines could have been
unroofed.
Taking the internal Panehsi shrine as a model, the main offering area, the cella,
will have been roofless. The porch of Type II shrines would have been roofed, on the
5"Badawy, op. cit. 96.
56Lloyd, loc. cit.
'7J. Vandier, Manueld'archeologie
igyptienne,11(Paris, I955),8I, fig. 395.
xDavies, Two RamessideTombsat Thebes(New York, I927),pl. xxviii.
59
E.g. Cambridge Fitzwilliam E.28.I926and 29.1926.

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SALIMAIKRAM

IOO

YEA 75

basis of grapes, columns and fairly high walls. This would fit in with the main Aten
temples - if the chapels were their domestic equivalents.
Many of the stelae from the chapels show the royal family in a chapel/temple
adoring and offering to the disc or seated below Aten, whose 'arms' extend protectively over the royal family. Unroofed chapels/temples would have allowed his rays
to reach the offerings and adorers.
Other sources of influence could have been the 'Window of Appearance' balcony
where the pharaoh and his family appeared on public occasions and the kiosks
which sheltered them on other such occasions.60These seem hypaethral,with Aten's
ray's reaching in to touch the royal personages. Thus, on balance one would favour
the view that the cellae of the garden shrines were open to the air.
The context of the shrines
Shrines only appear in large or medium sized houses, and were obviously a luxury
building. They were probably built by important and rich officials who wanted to
demonstrate publicly their loyalty to Akhenaten's regime, as well as their wealth and
piety.

Individual types do not seem to be concentrated in particularportions of the city.

Occasionally, the same form appears in all the houses of a particularstreet, but there
is no meaningful spatial clustering of types. It is not possible to determine which of
the shrine types was the first to appear in Akhetaten.
Surprisingly enough, there is little connexion between the size and complexity of
the shrines and that of the houses to which they belong: area (ranging from 2 to
39 m2), type, material,presence of water, the existence of pylons and internal shrines
are all unrelated to size of house and neighbourhood.

Dedication
Given all known factors, it is clear that the chapels can only have been dedicated to
the king, Aten, or both. I would propose that their dedication was to the cult of the
royal family, in their manifestations as part of the triad of Aten, Akhenaten and
Nefertiti.61

Statues of the royal family, stelae of them worshipping Aten, or the family alone,
and paintings of the same subjects are found within the chapels. There is only one
known example of a stela depicting only Aten, found in T 36.45, possibly belonging
to T 36.37,62which is perhaps unique to Egyptian art. As the contents of the chapels,
these images of the royal family, in the main Akhenaten and his queen, would seem
to have been the recipients of the offerings and homage of the householders. If our
speculation of a connexion with royal kiosks and the Window of Appearances is
correct, this would be reinforced, as these two architectural features are used
exclusively for the royal family.
60

Badawy, op. cit. 34.

h J. Assmann,
Agypten:Theologieund FrommigkeiteinerfruhenHochkultur(Berlin, I984), 252.
62 CoA II, 46, pl. xl [7].

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1989 DOMESTIC SHRINES AND THE CULT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY

IoI

The idea that the shrines were dedicated to Aten himself may be initially
attractive, but may founder on two points. Firstly, they do not have the orientation
one would expect from sun altars (e.g. those in the royal mortuary temples), EastWest; secondly, under Atenism, the only people to have direct contact with the god
were Akhenaten and Nefertiti. 'The manner in which the rays [of Aten] fondle and
protect [them] constitutes a graphic illustration of the close tie between the king and
queen and the heavenly father (Aten)'.63If any non-royal person wanted to request
something from the god, he or she had to go through Akhenaten or Nefertiti. There
are many examples of such requests in the Amarna tombs.64Furthermore, one sees
that the private area and the small chapel in the big Aten Temple were for the worship of Aten by the royal family, while the exterior colonnaded court containing
royal statues was accessible to a favoured few.65By praying to statues of the pharaoh,
the son of Aten and his sole representative on Earth, the worshipper might obtain his
wish and/or the grace of the god. Thus one sees that the only way individuals had
access to the new god was by having house altars and garden chapels containing
images of the god's family (the royal family) and, by having it open to the sun, he
might be with that family and so indirectly with the worshipper.

'3D. Redford,
JARCE 13 (I976), 56.

64 BAR II,
409-20; Davies, Rock Tombs, i, (London, I903) 52, n. 9.

65A. M. Blackman, Recueil Champollion,506.

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