14 ARCHITECTURE. 
columns are similar to the column of Medinet-Abou (pi. 5, jig. 8), but larger. 
The ruins of this temple most distinctly show that the stones used in the 
construction of the palace of Carnak had formed portions of some other 
building, another proof that long before the erection of those buildings, the 
ruins of which are now before us, other and similar edifices had been built 
in Egypt, and destroyed by time. 
This hall led to the third propyleeum, decorated with symbolic hieroglyphies 
and bas-reliefs. The entrance door of this propyleum, 49 feet high, leads to a 
corridor, jig. 7, @ a, which runs round the interior rear part of the monument. — 
Close to the entrance are seen two obelisks of red granite, whose bases are 
about 5 feet, 7 inches above the present floor, their entire height being 61 feet. 
They probably measured 70 feet in height from the original floor; their tops 
are 3 feet in width, by 9 feet in height. The northern has been prostrated and 
broken, while the southern is still in good condition. Behind these obelisks is 
the fourth propyleeum, which contained a square fore-hall, leading into a gal- 
lery, d, d, about 80 feet long, by 58 feet wide,with a double row of pillars, 
at the base of which statues of Osiris are standing. In this room two 
obelisks were placed, which were among the largest in Egypt, and both 
monoliths of granite. The southern one is lying broken, whilst the northern 
one remains in tolerably good condition. It stands 73 feet, 7 inches, 9 lines 
high, above the rubbish, its entire height being 91 feet, 10 mches. At the 
base it is 8 feet, 1 inch thick, and where it projects from the rubbish, 7 feet, 
72 inches. It isthe highest obelisk of the ten still existing in Egypt, and 
its weight is about 375 tons. | 
From the above-mentioned galleries a fore hall of about 18 feet by 37 
feet, 6 inches, leads to a dilapidated wall with granite door jambs, probably 
the ruins of a small propyleum. ‘Two doors lead to two different halls, the 
walls of which are decorated with highly elaborated symbolic sculptures. In 
front of the sanctuary (fig. 7,c) were two truncated obelisks (steles), 7 feet, 7 
inches high, which probably served as pedestals for busts. A door between 
them leads to the granite apartments, the walls of which are covered with 
well finished and painted bas-relief, frequently representing Horus, the son 
of Osiris and Isis. The blue color is still quite fresh and brilliant. The 
ceiling, constructed of granite and sandstone blocks, is decorated with yellow 
stars, with red centres on an azure ground. ‘To some of these granite apart- 
ments small chambers were attached, decorated with sculptures representing 
the inauguration of kings by the priests, and sometimes the sacred boat. It 
is generally supposed that none but the kings and priests were admitted into 
these chambers. In the granite apartments the French engineers frequently 
noticed sounds similar to those attributed to the statue of Memnon; they 
always seemed to originate from the granite ceiling, which probably vibrated 
in consequence of the sudden changes of temperature, the nights being very 
cold, and the days exceedingly hot. About 500 feet behind the granite 
apartments are found some more ruins (fig. 7, 6), which probably constituted 
a portion of the palace. They form a hall, the centre ceiling of which rests 
on 20 columns arranged in two rows, which are surrounded by a peristyle 
supporting a lower ceiling; the whole being a miniature copy of the large 
14 
