From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malkata (or Malqata) is a place located on the west bank of Thebes, Egypt, in Egypt, in the desert south of Medinet Habu. It is most famous for being the location of the palace of the king Amenhotep III. Its modern Arabic name means the place where things are picked up.

Contents 1 Palace of Amenhotep III 1.1 Excavations 2 Deir el-Shelwit 2.1 Temple of Isis 2.2 Roman settlement and cemetery 3 Malkata today 4 References 5 External links

There are various structures in the desert, consisting of several residential palaces, a temple of Amun, a festival hall, elite villas, houses for the relatives of the Royal Family, apartments for attendants, and a desert altar termed the Kom al-Samak, all of which were constructed by mud bricks.

Originally the palace was known as the Palace of the Dazzling Aten. and was constructed mostly out of mud-brick, the palace was Amenhotep's residence throughout most the later part of his reign. Begun around year 11 of his reign and continued until the king moved here permanently around year 29. Once completed it was the largest royal residence in Egypt.

To the east of the palace a large ceremonial lake was dug. The palace area was connected to the Nile through a system of canals, which end in a large habour or quay, now called Birket Habu.

The palace ruins were "rediscovered" in 1888 by Daressy, then by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1910-1920, then by University Museum of Pennsylvania in the 1970s and have been the site of excavations by the Archaeological Mission of Waseda University since 1985.

Just south of the palace there is a temple devoted to Isis which was built in the Roman period. The modern name for this temple is Deir al-Shalwi.

Excavations of the area by the Waseda team in the early 1970's unearthed the remains of a Roman settlement and cemetery, finding remains from the times of Trajan and Hadrian.

Next to the site is a modern village. Here there is a tiny church and monastery dedicated to St Tawdros.

• Fletcher, J. Egypt's Sun King: Amenhotep III, 2000

• Malkat South excavations (Waseda University - in English)
• Malkat excavations (Waseda University - in English)