DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0157
THEBES AND KARNAK. 139
forgotten Bramante, but who was also the Ictinus of the
Ramesseum. For the Eamesseum is the Parthenon of
Thebes.
The sun was sinking and the shadows were lengthening
when, having made the round of the principal ruins, we
at length mounted our donkeys and turned toward Luxor.
To describe all that we saw after leaving the great ball
would fill a chapter. Huge obelisks of shining granite—
some yet erect, some shattered and prostrate; vast lengths
of sculptured walls covered with wondrous battle subjects,
sacerdotal processions, and elaborate chronicles of the
deeds of kings ; ruined court-yards surrounded by files of
headless statues; a sanctuary built all of polished granite,
and engraven like a gem; a second ball of pillars dating
back to the early days of Thothmes III: labyrinths of
roofless chambers; mutilated colossi, shattered pylons,
fallen columns, unintelligible foundations and hieroglyphic
inscriptions without end, were glanced at, passed by,
and succeeded by fresh wonders. I dare not say how many
small outlying temples we saw in the course of that rapid
survey. In one place we came upon an undulating tract
of coarse halfeh grass, in the midst of which, battered,
defaced, forlorn, sat a weird company of green granite
sphinxes and lioness-headed basts. In another, we saw a
magnificent colossal hawk upright on his pedestal in the
midst of a bergfall of ruins. More avenues of sphinxes,
more pylons, more colossi were passed before the road we
took in returning brought us round to that by which we
bad come. By the time we reached the sheik's tomb, it
was nearly dusk. AVe rode back across the plain, silent
and bewildered. Have I not said that it was like a
dream ?
forgotten Bramante, but who was also the Ictinus of the
Ramesseum. For the Eamesseum is the Parthenon of
Thebes.
The sun was sinking and the shadows were lengthening
when, having made the round of the principal ruins, we
at length mounted our donkeys and turned toward Luxor.
To describe all that we saw after leaving the great ball
would fill a chapter. Huge obelisks of shining granite—
some yet erect, some shattered and prostrate; vast lengths
of sculptured walls covered with wondrous battle subjects,
sacerdotal processions, and elaborate chronicles of the
deeds of kings ; ruined court-yards surrounded by files of
headless statues; a sanctuary built all of polished granite,
and engraven like a gem; a second ball of pillars dating
back to the early days of Thothmes III: labyrinths of
roofless chambers; mutilated colossi, shattered pylons,
fallen columns, unintelligible foundations and hieroglyphic
inscriptions without end, were glanced at, passed by,
and succeeded by fresh wonders. I dare not say how many
small outlying temples we saw in the course of that rapid
survey. In one place we came upon an undulating tract
of coarse halfeh grass, in the midst of which, battered,
defaced, forlorn, sat a weird company of green granite
sphinxes and lioness-headed basts. In another, we saw a
magnificent colossal hawk upright on his pedestal in the
midst of a bergfall of ruins. More avenues of sphinxes,
more pylons, more colossi were passed before the road we
took in returning brought us round to that by which we
bad come. By the time we reached the sheik's tomb, it
was nearly dusk. AVe rode back across the plain, silent
and bewildered. Have I not said that it was like a
dream ?