DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4656#0013
DESCRIPTION* OF Tllli TEMPLE.
with four columns, along the south end of which are
three more small chambers. The floors of the two
columned halls are on the same levels, but the sill of
the door between them is raised. Three shallow
steps on either side lead up to it, though the total rise
is only 12 cm.
The twelve columns of 3* 10 m. circumference rest
on shallow bases, and the two lines are 4 m. apart.
The columns stand opposite each other, but the
spaces between the couples along the axis vary from
3-65 m. to 3'40 m. The whole group of columns is
placed nearer to the south end of the hall, so as to
allow a broad passage at the north end from the door
out of the chapel. The north wall of this hall is
1-30 m. thick, and is pierced by three doors 1-25 m.
wide between the door-posts. These doors lead to
three small flat-roofed chambers 6-50 m. long; the
centre one is the narrowest, 2-50 m. wide, the others
are 2*65 m. and 2'67 m.
The wall between the two columned halls is
l"6o m. thick. The small hall is nearly square,
9*70 m. X 10 ■ 10 m. The four columns are 3*10 m.
in circumference, and placed in continuation of the
same line as the columns in the large hall ; but the
space between the couples is larger than any space in
the other hall, being 3-70 m. In this hall the whole
group of columns has been placed slightly nearer the
north end of the chamber. The distances of column
centre to dividing wall are 2 "90 m. and 3 m. in the
small and large halls respectively. The dividing wall
seems to be part of the original design, as the joints
are carefully bonded in the main walls. In the N.E.
corner of this hall is a curious niche in the wall,
seeming almost like a window ; and in one place
there seems to have been a narrow door. This
window (if it be such) looks in at the N.W. corner of
the second chapel ; and the apparent door is between
the window and the centre stone of the chapel end.
The window or niche seems to have been part of the
original design, as the wall carvings are continuous in
it ; but the end of the chapel is so much broken down
that nothing can be said with certainty.
16. On the south side of this hall are three small
chambers, L M N, similar in position to the three
chambers P Q R at the north end of the big hall ;
but the wall between chambers and hall is much
thicker, and the chambers shorter and more square.
The middle chamber, M, is the largest, instead of
being the smallest, like Q at the N. end ; it is 2-9001.
wide, the ones next to it are 2*47 m. and 2-58 m.,
each of them narrower than the corresponding
chambers at the north end. The door of the right-
hand chamber L is a good deal to the west of the
mid line of the chamber. At the south end of these
chambers is a wall 2-10 m. thick dividing them from
the two narrow chapels B C before described. A
glance at the plan will show that the line of this wall
from the Hypostyle court to the west main wall is
not continuous, the western end of this wall having
been placed more to the southward. The southern
face of it is 75 cm. out of line (as explained on
page 6), and the north face is 95 cm. out of line in
the same direction, so that the western end of this
wall is 20 cm. narrower than the eastern end. There
is no very obvious reason for the shifting of this wall,
as the narrow chapel on the S. side of the wall
might have been made almost symmetrical with its
neighbour by carrying the wall on in a straight line.
The larger south chapel, B, is 3*25 m. wide and the
smaller, C, 2- 54 m. ; so that if the wall had not been
displaced by 75 cm., the smaller chapel would have
been 3^29 m. wide, or practically symmetrical with
its neighbour in the same group, and there would still
have been left a wall 1 • 30 m. thick to divide the two
sets of chambers and carry the roof beams. All
these chambers, chapels, and walls, were lighted by
funnel-shaped holes in the roof, the wide end of the
funnel being uppermost.
At the N.W. corner of the temple is an incom-
prehensible chamber ; it had two stone floors, one on
a level with the chapel floors, the other about 2 • 50 m.
higher, carried on two square pillars. The pillars
continued upwards from the higher floor and may
have carried a roof; but if so, it must have been
higher than the chapel roofs, or have left very little
head room. There are no doors, no windows, and no
steps. One can only imagine that there may have
been an opening in the first floor (which is now partly
broken), through which prisoners were dropped into
the lower chamber ; but how the upper chamber was
approached, or what the whole contrivance was used
for, there is no evidence to show, now that the top
has been broken away. Mariette suggests the wells
mentioned by Strabo: I suggest a dungeon ; and it
may equally well have been a corn-bin or a treasury.
It was evidently arranged with some care, as it is
recessed 25 cm. into the west and north main walls of
the temple. The upper chamber is 10*60 m. long
and 6-40 m. wide. The upper stone floor is of lime-
stone slabs about 20 cm. thick, carried on beams
running in a north and south direction, which are
with four columns, along the south end of which are
three more small chambers. The floors of the two
columned halls are on the same levels, but the sill of
the door between them is raised. Three shallow
steps on either side lead up to it, though the total rise
is only 12 cm.
The twelve columns of 3* 10 m. circumference rest
on shallow bases, and the two lines are 4 m. apart.
The columns stand opposite each other, but the
spaces between the couples along the axis vary from
3-65 m. to 3'40 m. The whole group of columns is
placed nearer to the south end of the hall, so as to
allow a broad passage at the north end from the door
out of the chapel. The north wall of this hall is
1-30 m. thick, and is pierced by three doors 1-25 m.
wide between the door-posts. These doors lead to
three small flat-roofed chambers 6-50 m. long; the
centre one is the narrowest, 2-50 m. wide, the others
are 2*65 m. and 2'67 m.
The wall between the two columned halls is
l"6o m. thick. The small hall is nearly square,
9*70 m. X 10 ■ 10 m. The four columns are 3*10 m.
in circumference, and placed in continuation of the
same line as the columns in the large hall ; but the
space between the couples is larger than any space in
the other hall, being 3-70 m. In this hall the whole
group of columns has been placed slightly nearer the
north end of the chamber. The distances of column
centre to dividing wall are 2 "90 m. and 3 m. in the
small and large halls respectively. The dividing wall
seems to be part of the original design, as the joints
are carefully bonded in the main walls. In the N.E.
corner of this hall is a curious niche in the wall,
seeming almost like a window ; and in one place
there seems to have been a narrow door. This
window (if it be such) looks in at the N.W. corner of
the second chapel ; and the apparent door is between
the window and the centre stone of the chapel end.
The window or niche seems to have been part of the
original design, as the wall carvings are continuous in
it ; but the end of the chapel is so much broken down
that nothing can be said with certainty.
16. On the south side of this hall are three small
chambers, L M N, similar in position to the three
chambers P Q R at the north end of the big hall ;
but the wall between chambers and hall is much
thicker, and the chambers shorter and more square.
The middle chamber, M, is the largest, instead of
being the smallest, like Q at the N. end ; it is 2-9001.
wide, the ones next to it are 2*47 m. and 2-58 m.,
each of them narrower than the corresponding
chambers at the north end. The door of the right-
hand chamber L is a good deal to the west of the
mid line of the chamber. At the south end of these
chambers is a wall 2-10 m. thick dividing them from
the two narrow chapels B C before described. A
glance at the plan will show that the line of this wall
from the Hypostyle court to the west main wall is
not continuous, the western end of this wall having
been placed more to the southward. The southern
face of it is 75 cm. out of line (as explained on
page 6), and the north face is 95 cm. out of line in
the same direction, so that the western end of this
wall is 20 cm. narrower than the eastern end. There
is no very obvious reason for the shifting of this wall,
as the narrow chapel on the S. side of the wall
might have been made almost symmetrical with its
neighbour by carrying the wall on in a straight line.
The larger south chapel, B, is 3*25 m. wide and the
smaller, C, 2- 54 m. ; so that if the wall had not been
displaced by 75 cm., the smaller chapel would have
been 3^29 m. wide, or practically symmetrical with
its neighbour in the same group, and there would still
have been left a wall 1 • 30 m. thick to divide the two
sets of chambers and carry the roof beams. All
these chambers, chapels, and walls, were lighted by
funnel-shaped holes in the roof, the wide end of the
funnel being uppermost.
At the N.W. corner of the temple is an incom-
prehensible chamber ; it had two stone floors, one on
a level with the chapel floors, the other about 2 • 50 m.
higher, carried on two square pillars. The pillars
continued upwards from the higher floor and may
have carried a roof; but if so, it must have been
higher than the chapel roofs, or have left very little
head room. There are no doors, no windows, and no
steps. One can only imagine that there may have
been an opening in the first floor (which is now partly
broken), through which prisoners were dropped into
the lower chamber ; but how the upper chamber was
approached, or what the whole contrivance was used
for, there is no evidence to show, now that the top
has been broken away. Mariette suggests the wells
mentioned by Strabo: I suggest a dungeon ; and it
may equally well have been a corn-bin or a treasury.
It was evidently arranged with some care, as it is
recessed 25 cm. into the west and north main walls of
the temple. The upper chamber is 10*60 m. long
and 6-40 m. wide. The upper stone floor is of lime-
stone slabs about 20 cm. thick, carried on beams
running in a north and south direction, which are