Tomb of Mahu (EA9)
Amarna, Tel Bani Omran, Dayr Mowas, Al - Menia, Egypt
About
Tomb of Mahu (EA9) The tomb of Mahu, 'Chief of Police of Akhetaten', although small is probably one of the most interesting of the South Tombs and contains many unusual scenes. The entrance corridor depicts the usual scenes of the royal family (with only one daughter, Meritaten, in this tomb) and Mahu worshipping the Aten with a text of the 'Hymn to the Aten in front of him. Mahu's tomb is one of the more architecturally complete of the South Tombs and contains both an outer and an inner hall. On the west wall of the outer hall, to the right of the entrance, a fortified building is depicted to which men and women are carrying produce. Mahu can be seen warming himself by a brazier of burning coals while talking to two officials. On this wall Mahu is frequently depicted carrying out his duties in scenes which are sketched in ink only, especially on the lower parts of the wall, but the drawings are superb works of Amarna art and show the great skill of the city's draughtsmen. Almost the whole of the southern wall is taken up by a false-door stela depicting the King and Queen with Meritaten, offering food to the Aten. The south side of the western wall depicts the King and Queen driving in their chariot from the temple, with a police escort running ahead. In the scene below this and continuing round from the southern wall the royal family are again driving in a chariot, with Mahu shown both in front and behind. The scenes also show several buildings, one which may possibly be identified as the Northern Riverside Palace. Texts and hymns are inscribed around the doorway to the inner hall. On the northern end of the west wall the decoration is again a superb example of the draughtsman's art drawn in ink. A scene of investiture on the right-hand side is damaged, but the courtyard before the Window of Appearances can still be seen with its waiting crowd behind Mahu who stands with his arms upraised. Below this Mahu visits the temple with his policemen. The northern wall contains a curved stela with similar scenes to the stela on the southern wall. Little remains of the decoration on the eastern wall to the north of the entrance doorway, which once depicted another reward scene. The inner hall which takes the form of a wide corridor, was left unfinished and undecorated and a doorway to a statue chamber was marked but never cut. On the southern side of the inner hall a long flight of steps wind down to Mahu's large burial chamber.
