The Kushite Kiosks of Karnak and Luxor: A Cross-over Study

Overview & Synopsis

The sandstone kiosk built in the open court of the great temple of Amun at Karnak is one of the characteristic monu-ments of the architectural program of Taharqo. It is composed of two rows of five columns, which are connected by low intercolumnar screen walls and four doors. The names of Taharqo were usurped by Psamtik II, while some parts of the kiosk decoration and structure were modified during the reign of Ptolemy IV Philopator. The construction of the kiosk of Taharqo follows on from the works of Shabaqo in the main Theban temples. In the early 1950s, the discovery of column drums at Luxor Temple were attributed to a ‘colonnade’ of Shabaqo, although it would later be identified as a kiosk by van Siclen III and Loeben. Its decoration can be determined thanks to a number of blocks reused in the gates of the Roman Fortress at Luxor Temple. Both of these kiosks have many similarities with regard to their decorative programme, particularly the friezes of prisoners on the main doors. With the cross-over study of these monuments, we can analyse an aspect of the construc-tion programmes of Kushite kings in the Theban region. The kiosks fall within the development of the Theban proces-sions and the display of a Kushite imperialist discourse inspired by models of the New Kingdom.