ARCHITECTURE. 7 
Pi. 5, fig. 1, represents the plan of the large temple of Apollinopolis Magna 
(Edfou) on the left bank of the Nile, between Syene and Esneh, which, before 
the French expedition, was almost unknown. This temple was consecrated 
to Horus or Arueris, the Egyptian Apollo. /%g. 2 shows the longitudinal 
section, c k; jig. 3, the elevation of the propylea, aa; fig. 4, a section 
through the fore court, with a view of the fore hall or pronaos; jig.6, caps 
and cornice from the long portico, e,; jig. 6, the central part of the entablature 
in the elevation of the pronaos. ° 
The entire edifice consists of: 1. An inclosure whose front side is formed 
by the propyleum, @ @ ,with the entrance, c, in front of which the two obelisks, 
b, 6, are erected. 2. The peristyle or the first fore-court, d, with the porticoes, 
é,e; the court has the appearance of a staircase of twelve steps, so as to make 
each succeeding column shorter than the other by the height of a step. 3. 
The pronaos, 7, with six columns in the first row, and eighteen columns 
all together, all very beautiful; here commences the main wall of the 
temple, which is constructed with buttresses, and between it and the outer 
wall on each side are small side courts, 77. 4. The fore hall of the temple, 
g, with twelve columns, which through the passage way, 4, communicates 
with the rooms of the priests, and with the staircases. 5. The sanctuary, 
2, behind which different other rooms are located. 
The length of the temple is 484 feet, the front of the propylea 212 feet, and 
the front of the main temple 145 feet. The circumference of the large coleman 
is 20 feet, that of the capitals 37 feet. The length of the temple by itself is 300 
feet, the width of the propyleea 150; their height is 75 feet, the depth 24. The 
width of the fore-court, d, in the clear is 75 feet, exactly equal to the width of 
the pronaos, 7, and consequently all the proportions harmonize. The length of 
the temple is eight times the height of the pronaos, four times the height of 
the propyleea, and twice their width. All the different apartments are lighted 
by skylights. The two stories of the propylzea are furnished with inner stair- 
cases, and are lighted by openings in the wall and in the ceiling. Grooves 
are cut in the front walls of the propyleea to receive the triumphal flagstafts. 
All the walls, outer as well as inner, all the columns and entablatures, and 
almost all the ceilings, are covered with highly elaborate symbolic sculptures 
and hieroglyphics, which are still in very good condition. Some of the 
capitals in the form of vases, decorated with palm leaves and date branches, 
are of uncommon beauty, and are symmetrically arranged. From the striking 
resemblance of the leaves and volutes to the Corinthian capitals, we might 
not unreasonably suppose the latter to have been modelled after them. 
Near this large temple is located a smaller one consecrated to Typhon, the 
evil spirit, not more than 74 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 233 high. One 
of the ornamental sculptures shows that at the time when the temple was 
building the summer solstice was in the sign of Leo; the temple, therefore, 
must have been erected about 2500 years before Christ. 
On the island of Masuniah, about six miles below Apollinopolis, are 
situated the famous rock-cut tombs of Silsilis (pl. 4, fig. 7), constructed on 
the same principle as the Persian tombs. They form very deep grottoes, 
to which architectural fronts are attached. In these grottoes are found two 
7 
