“ARCHITECTURE. Oo 
-~ There is much difference of opinion as to the age of the ancient Hindoo 
‘buildings. A careful examination of the different theories on the subject 
inclines us to place it at about 2500 years before Christ. 
2. EGyptTiAN ARCHITECTURE. 
Eeyrt, which, from the time of Sesostris, 1700 years B. C. to the Persian 
war, about 600 B.C., extended over Bactria, Aithiopia, Abyssinia, and Lybia, 
offers the most remarkable and important monuments for the study of the 
history of architecture, in her very numerous temples, palaces, pyramids, 
obelisks, and hypogea (under-ground buildings); and Herodotus, Diodorus 
Siculus, Pausanias, and Strabo certainly do her no more than justice in 
declaring that she surpasses all the nations of the earth in the eg 
and grandeur of her architectural monuments. 
The style of architecture known as the Egyptian originated in the Siartin 
districts of Aithiopia and in Nubia, and was introduced to the lower 
districts of the river Nile by Egyptian colonists who migrated from Meroe 
under the command of some priests, and settled below the last cataract. 
The temple of Jupiter Ammon, between Thebes (the ancient metropolis) and 
Fezzan, the obelisks near Axum, and others, are evidences of the correctness 
of this statement. Pococke, Burkhardt, Beechey, Belzoni, and Gau are the — 
best authorities on the history of Egyptian architecture. 
The island of Phils, about three miles from the city of Syene, above the 
last cataract of the Nile, which is here about 15,000 feet wide, is about 1156 
feet long by 404 feet wide, and surrounded by a wharf built of square blocks. 
It contains the mausoleum of Osiris, a congeries of temples disposed according 
to the form of the island, which is shaped somewhat like the portion of a 
gun-stock from the butt-end to the place of insertion of the barrel, the smaller 
end pointing up the stream. At the southern extremity is situated a 
smaller temple, to which a large court-yard is attached, surrounded by por- 
ticoes leading to the two first pylons or propylea (large temple entrances be- 
tween tower-like buildings of considerable height) (pl. 6, jig. 9). These propy- 
lzea lead to the fore court of the temple of Osiris. On the west side of this 
court stands another temple, on the east the dwellings of the priests, and 
towards the north are the second propylea (jig. 9, a perspective view 
of the fore court and the surrounding buildings). The second propyleon 
leads to a smaller yard, which, surrounded on three sides by porticoes, forms 
the fore hall of the temple of Osiris. Pl. 4, jig. 6 presents a perspective view 
of the hall, with the entrance to the large temple. Theseveral parts of this 
series of temples differ considerably, not only in dimensions and proportions, 
but also in form and details. 
The columns of the southern temple, the smallest monuments of Egyptian 
architecture, are not over 15 feet high, by 2 feet 3 inches in diameter. The 
capitals support cubes ornamented by four heads of Isis in relief, one on 
each side. The western temple is surrounded by a portico on all four sides. 
i) 
