DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0296
232
THEBAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book Y.
55 in width. internally, and the roof snpported hy two rows of massive
square oolumns, and two of circular pillars of most exceptional form,
the capital heing reversed, and something of the form usually found in
Assyria, but never again in Egypt. Like almost all Egyptian halls,
it was lighted from the roof in the manner shown in the section. With
all these additions, the temple was a complete whole, 540 ft. in length
by 280 in width, at the time when the sun-worshippers hroke in upon
the regular succession of the great 18tli dynasty.
1U 20 30 40 50
168. Section of Palace of Thothmes III., Thebes.
When tlie original line was resumed, Manepthah commenced the
huilding of tlie great hall, which he nearly completed. Rhamses, the
first king of the 19th dynasty, built the small temple in front; and
the so-called Buhastite kings of the 22nd dynasty added the great
court in front, completing the huilding to the extent we now find it.
We have thus, as in some of our mediseval cathedrals, in this one
temple, a complete history of the style during the whole of its most
flourishing period ; and, either for interest or for heauty, it forms such
a series as no other country, and no other age, can produce. Besides
those buildings mentioned above, there are other temples to the north,
to the east, and more especially to. the south, and pylons connecting
these, and avenues of spliinxes extending for miles, and enclosing
walls, and tanks, and emhankments, making up such a group as no
city eArer possessed before or since. St. Peter’s, with its colonnades,
and the Yatican, make up an immense mass, hut as insignificant in
extent as in style when compared with this glory of ancient Thehes
and its surrounding temples.
The culminating point and climax of all this group of huilding is
the hypostyle hall of Manepthah. Tlie accompanying plan, and section
of its central portion, both to the usual scale, will explain its general
arrangement; hut no language can convey an idea of its heauty, and
no artist has yet heen ahle to reproduce its form so as to convey to
those who have not seen it an idea of its grandeur. The mass of its
central piers, illumined by a flood of light from the clerestory, and the
smaller pillars of the wings gradually fading iuto obscurity, are so
arranged and lighted as to convey an idea of infinite space; at tlie
same time, the heauty and massiveness of the forms, and the brilliancy
of their coloured decorations, all comhine to stamp this as the greatest
of man s architectural works ; hut such a one as it would be impossible
THEBAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book Y.
55 in width. internally, and the roof snpported hy two rows of massive
square oolumns, and two of circular pillars of most exceptional form,
the capital heing reversed, and something of the form usually found in
Assyria, but never again in Egypt. Like almost all Egyptian halls,
it was lighted from the roof in the manner shown in the section. With
all these additions, the temple was a complete whole, 540 ft. in length
by 280 in width, at the time when the sun-worshippers hroke in upon
the regular succession of the great 18tli dynasty.
1U 20 30 40 50
168. Section of Palace of Thothmes III., Thebes.
When tlie original line was resumed, Manepthah commenced the
huilding of tlie great hall, which he nearly completed. Rhamses, the
first king of the 19th dynasty, built the small temple in front; and
the so-called Buhastite kings of the 22nd dynasty added the great
court in front, completing the huilding to the extent we now find it.
We have thus, as in some of our mediseval cathedrals, in this one
temple, a complete history of the style during the whole of its most
flourishing period ; and, either for interest or for heauty, it forms such
a series as no other country, and no other age, can produce. Besides
those buildings mentioned above, there are other temples to the north,
to the east, and more especially to. the south, and pylons connecting
these, and avenues of spliinxes extending for miles, and enclosing
walls, and tanks, and emhankments, making up such a group as no
city eArer possessed before or since. St. Peter’s, with its colonnades,
and the Yatican, make up an immense mass, hut as insignificant in
extent as in style when compared with this glory of ancient Thehes
and its surrounding temples.
The culminating point and climax of all this group of huilding is
the hypostyle hall of Manepthah. Tlie accompanying plan, and section
of its central portion, both to the usual scale, will explain its general
arrangement; hut no language can convey an idea of its heauty, and
no artist has yet heen ahle to reproduce its form so as to convey to
those who have not seen it an idea of its grandeur. The mass of its
central piers, illumined by a flood of light from the clerestory, and the
smaller pillars of the wings gradually fading iuto obscurity, are so
arranged and lighted as to convey an idea of infinite space; at tlie
same time, the heauty and massiveness of the forms, and the brilliancy
of their coloured decorations, all comhine to stamp this as the greatest
of man s architectural works ; hut such a one as it would be impossible