DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5295#0070
50 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,
having been stopped by a chain, we have the present Arabic
name, " Hadjar Silsilis, The rock of the chain/' One of the
rocks has been cut into a rude cubic mass, on the summit of
which lies another horizontally, of a triangular shape, and at
a distance appears like the head of a bird.
The mass of buildings which formed part of the ancient
Apollinopolis Magna, rises high above the modern habita-
tions of Edfoo. The hieroglyphics on its propyloea are
plainly distinguished with a glass from the Nile, though dis-
tant a mile and a half. Here the river begins to divide itself
amongst several islands, some of which are inhabited ; but
the Mokattam approaches close to the east and west banks,
which appear to have few habitations, and are badly culti-
vated. I looked in vain for the building mentioned by
Denon, as the Pharos to the ancient Ombos.
The ruins of this city are close to the east bank, on a sort
of promontory, and the desert threatens to cover them com-
pletely. There are none but these which enable the traveller,
by merely passing, to form a tolerable idea of the sort of ruin
he will see; and rarely, except here, are Roman ruins still to
be traced from the shore. From Ombos to Assuan, the
eastern side of the Nile has most cultivation, in a narrow
space of ground between the Mokattam and the banks of the
river. The western shores are almost deserted. The houses
of the villages are more pyramidal than elsewhere, and, si-
having been stopped by a chain, we have the present Arabic
name, " Hadjar Silsilis, The rock of the chain/' One of the
rocks has been cut into a rude cubic mass, on the summit of
which lies another horizontally, of a triangular shape, and at
a distance appears like the head of a bird.
The mass of buildings which formed part of the ancient
Apollinopolis Magna, rises high above the modern habita-
tions of Edfoo. The hieroglyphics on its propyloea are
plainly distinguished with a glass from the Nile, though dis-
tant a mile and a half. Here the river begins to divide itself
amongst several islands, some of which are inhabited ; but
the Mokattam approaches close to the east and west banks,
which appear to have few habitations, and are badly culti-
vated. I looked in vain for the building mentioned by
Denon, as the Pharos to the ancient Ombos.
The ruins of this city are close to the east bank, on a sort
of promontory, and the desert threatens to cover them com-
pletely. There are none but these which enable the traveller,
by merely passing, to form a tolerable idea of the sort of ruin
he will see; and rarely, except here, are Roman ruins still to
be traced from the shore. From Ombos to Assuan, the
eastern side of the Nile has most cultivation, in a narrow
space of ground between the Mokattam and the banks of the
river. The western shores are almost deserted. The houses
of the villages are more pyramidal than elsewhere, and, si-