DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5295#0104
76 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,
and formed his divan. Having replied to his questions, and
obtained a promise of horses for n^self and Osman, to enable
me to cross the desert that night and visit Ibrim, I took my
leave, and went to the rocks behind the village, followed by
a numerous party of the natives, who came in hopes of
seeing me discover treasures in the ruins, the supposed object
of the visits of all Europeans to this part of the world. The
Mamelouk, who fancied himself wiser than the rest, asked
me whether the English, French, or Genoese had built the
temples, and whether the object of my visit was not the work
of my ancestors.
When I arrived at the rocks, I found that the supposed
temple was only a large excavation, evidently a burial-place.
The approach to it was through two rows of incomplete
square pillars, hewn out of the rock; their height above the
ground is about four feet. At the end of this approach is a
rough sort of portico, composed of four square pillars, with,
entablature. A ceiling, the greatest part of which is fallen
down, connected them with the front of the excavation,
scarped perpendicularly from the rock. On the outside front
of the pillars of the portico are the lower parts, from the
waist, of whole length statues in full relief; their height
originally extended to the top of the entablature: they
appear to have had the conical casque common to Egyptian
statues, and stand on square bases.
and formed his divan. Having replied to his questions, and
obtained a promise of horses for n^self and Osman, to enable
me to cross the desert that night and visit Ibrim, I took my
leave, and went to the rocks behind the village, followed by
a numerous party of the natives, who came in hopes of
seeing me discover treasures in the ruins, the supposed object
of the visits of all Europeans to this part of the world. The
Mamelouk, who fancied himself wiser than the rest, asked
me whether the English, French, or Genoese had built the
temples, and whether the object of my visit was not the work
of my ancestors.
When I arrived at the rocks, I found that the supposed
temple was only a large excavation, evidently a burial-place.
The approach to it was through two rows of incomplete
square pillars, hewn out of the rock; their height above the
ground is about four feet. At the end of this approach is a
rough sort of portico, composed of four square pillars, with,
entablature. A ceiling, the greatest part of which is fallen
down, connected them with the front of the excavation,
scarped perpendicularly from the rock. On the outside front
of the pillars of the portico are the lower parts, from the
waist, of whole length statues in full relief; their height
originally extended to the top of the entablature: they
appear to have had the conical casque common to Egyptian
statues, and stand on square bases.