Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
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88 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,

ferings: the usual subject of all the sculpture oil the walls of
Egyptian temples.

Two rows of sphinxes led to the temple. They began at
about fifty paces from the front. There are five remaining
uncovered with sand; three in full length out of the ground,
and the heads only of two others. The distance from each
other in row is eighteen feet, and between the opposite rows
thirty feet. They are about eleven feet from nose to ex-
treme part. The two first are much decayed, or were never
finished. The third, making the second in the left row, is
highly finished ; but its head, which lies near it, has been
struck off. The head in the opposite row is equally well
finished. The fifth makes the third in the left row. Between
the two front sphinxes are gigantic figures in alto relievo,
on pilasters. They are about fourteen feet high, and formed
the entrance to the avenue. They have the left leg ad-
vanced, have a ceinture, breast-plate, and pyramidal casque,
and are four feet broad across the shoulders. On the back
of the pilasters are hieroglyphics, as well as on that part
of the pilasters left uncovered by the statues. Similar sta-
tues, now thrown down, stood in front of the gateway of the
moles; one of them, half buried in the ground, to the waist;
the other shows the whole length, but is half covered with
sand. All these are of the same hard sand stone as the
moles. I could not discover any Greek inscription.
 
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