CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 





of ihnt 

 diCrrcnt 

 form* in 



..i* of 



Hiitorv. (bat the ongimi progreu of colonisation was made in the 

 * ^V* 1 tame direction ; but the period* or manner of this pro- 

 grcu, at far as regards the cities of Upper Egypt, are in- 

 volved in impenetrable obscurity. The form* of archi- 

 tecture and sculpture having been strictly determined, it 

 it only from tome shade* of difference in the perfection 

 of the workmanship of the latter, that we are led to con- 

 Trotyri. iecture that Apollinopolis, Tentyra, and Latopoiis, arc 

 ftc. fctrr \tter work* than the great edifices of Luxor and Karnac. 

 L ** or ' From the magnificent deicription of Thebc* by Ho- 

 mer, we learn that it had ri*en to great importance pre- 

 vious to the Trojan war, or about 1200 years B. C. 

 Memphis is said to have been built eight generations af- 

 ter Tbebe*, and Cambysc* invaded Egypt 52.5 B. C. ; 

 ao that for a period of 700 years, this country is known 

 to have abounded in wealth and population ; and when it 

 M considered, that during this time the command of this 

 wealth was in the hands of an able, artful priesthood, 

 and unceasingly applied to the constructon of religious 

 and royal edihces, we shall, after recollecting what was 

 performed in Europe by similar means during a few cen- 

 turies, be convinced, that the period before mentioned 

 wa* alone quite sufficient for accomplishing even the 

 juttly celebrated works of the Thebaid. 



With the invasion of Cambyses terminated the splen- 

 dour of Upper Egypt. He carried with him not only 

 conquest but destruction. His warfare was not merely 

 with the people, but with their palaces and religious struc- 

 tures. He carried off not only the spoils but the ai lists, 

 leaving this once splendid valley a deplorable scene of 

 rtiins ; and such is the fate of empires, that not more 

 than two centuries had elapsed, when even these ruins suf- 

 fered a further dilapidation from the destroyer of the Per- 

 rpolitan palace of Cambyses. But notwithstanding all 

 this, and also the repeated efforts of the more powerful 

 Romans, and the natural waste of 3000 years, the mag- 

 nificent and indestructible remains of Egyptian architec- 

 ture at this day, exhibit a striking picture of that once 

 powerful and learned people. 



Upper Egypt contains structures of three distinct 

 forms. l.The simple pyramid. 2. Apartments inclo- 

 led by sculptured walls with flat roofs, supported by 

 rows of columns, and connected by open porticos. Ana, 

 3. Cavern*, grotto*, or tombs. We are here also with- 

 out historical evidence, with regard to the priority or suc- 

 cession of these several modes. Some are of opinion, 

 that cavern* furnished first dwellings, and also places of 

 worship, and that to these succeeded the simple pyra- 

 mid ; whilst other* contend, that the colonnades were 

 raited in imitation of groves of trees, ii: which were the 

 earliest places of worship. The simplicity of the pyra- 

 mid, and it* having also been formed by the Spaniards in 

 Mexico and Pc-rn, would induce us to assign it a very 

 tidy xra ; but the Egyptian pyramids being situated at 

 the northern extremity of the valley, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Memphis the serond capital, we are at a loss to 

 reconcile this circumstance with the previous reign of 

 Thebe*. If cavern* have been the first habitations of 

 the early inhabitant* of Egypt, they must have occupied 

 only what are now reckoned natural caves ; for the exca- 

 vations appropriated for tomb* are arranged with great 

 skill, and contain some of the molt perfect sculptures 

 and paintings. Indeed, from extensive ranges of orna- 

 mental tombs being constantly found adjacent to each 

 great city, they evidently formed a part of the establish- 

 ment, and they are also known to nave enjoyed a very 

 important place in the ancient Egyptian mythology. 



The geniu* of Egypt appears with splendour at the 

 very southern boundary of the empire ; for the island of 



Philcc, Mtuated in the river Nile above the 6m cataract, 

 (300 yards in length, and IK) in breadth,) has been 

 wholly covered with temples. It was reckoned the se- 

 pulchre of Osiris and deemed so sacred, that priests 

 only were allowed to enter it. Some of the edifices ap- 

 pear very ancient, and others as if they had never been 

 finished. In the Utter, the sculpture is most perfect. 

 Here the symbol of the hawk is very frequent. 



A little to the north of Philee is the isle of Elephan- 

 ta, (2600 yards long, and 800 broad.) It was in a chamber 

 in the middle of this island that the nilometer was pla- 

 ced. The temple has been dedicated to Horus, the 

 Egyptian Apollo. The sculptured figures have more 

 of the negro than in any other place. A granite sta- 

 tue of Osiris found here has never been finished. There 

 is here a email peristyle temple apparently very ancient. 

 Strabo found half the inhabitants of this island to be E- 

 thiopians. Denon says, the temple was dedicated to the god 

 Cneph, or the good genius, and that the symbols are ser- 

 pents; and he thinks temples of this sort the most ancient. 

 At Ombus, which is situated on the eastern side of the 

 Nile, a temple has been dedicated to the crocodile. 



Continuing down the valley, we arrive at Apollino- 

 polls. It is situated on the western side of the Nile, in 

 which is one of the finest, and, next to Thebes, the lar- 

 gest temples in Egypt. It was dedicated to Horus. 

 The two moles which ornament the entrance are nearly 

 in contact. The door is higher than in any other tem- 

 ple. It opens into a vast court, surrounded by columns, 

 in form of a peristyle. The lodgings for the priests 

 were behind the peristyle. The portico is formed of 

 six columns in front, and three deep. The interior is 

 arranged similar to Dendcra, or Tentyra. 



At Edfou, is a small temple to Typhon. There are 

 here figures of the bad genius. The pictures represent 

 the triumph of Hippopotamus. 



Still moving northward on the western side of the ri- 

 ver, is Latopoiis, which has a beautiful portico of six co- 

 lumns in front, and four deep ; (see Plate CXL VI 1 1.) the 

 capitals differ, but are all elegant. The temple was dedi- 

 cated to Jupiter Ammon. Here were found emblems of 

 sacrifices of rams. There are four entire zodiacs at this 

 place. On the other side of the river facing Latopoiis, 

 is a small temple, remarkable for having a gallery formed 

 all round in the thickness of the wall. 



At Thebes, thtre are magnificent ruins on both sides 

 of the river ; but Karnac and Luxor are on the eastern side, 

 distant from each other about two miles. Karnac, (sec 

 Plate CXLVII1.) the greatest edifice in Egypt, Denon 

 says, was dedicated to Priapus. The mole looks towards 

 the Nile ; it is 140 paces in length, and 25 in thickness : 

 this leads to a court 110 paces in length, and the 

 same in breadth. Two ranges of six columns, conducts 

 to a portico composed of 136 columns. The two mid- 

 dle ranges of these are eleven feet diameter, the others 

 are seven feet ; the length of this vestibule is 78 paces, 

 the breadth the same as the mole : it leads into a court, 

 where there are four obelisks, and twelve colossal figures, 

 each with a cross on its breast. Two other courts con- 

 duct to what is supposed the apartments of the kings ; 

 those of the king and queen are distinguished by doors 

 of black granite. Adjacent to the great palace arc many 

 other buildings of great extent, connected with it by ave- 

 nues of sphinxes, lions, and rams ; some of the avenues ex- 

 tended towardsLuxor, a distance of 1200 yards. Thealley 

 of lions is well preserved ; they are 90in number,and each is 

 fifteen feet long, placed couchant upon a pedestal, about 

 three feet in height, and ten feet asunder. Facing the 

 moles, which conduct to the court of obelisks of the great 



History. 



Sepulchre 

 of Oiris. 



ls!e of Ele. 



phanta. 



Nilometer. 



Ombus. 



Crocodile. 



Apollino- 

 polic. 



Edfou. 



Latopolih 



PLATE 

 CXLVIH. 



ThelKi. 



Karnac. 



PLAT* 

 CXLVtII. 



Avcr.uri, 

 sphinxes, 

 lion*. 





