DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3990#0015
I
It
the angle of the Temenos wall (W) of the Temple of Isis, which it follows as far as its S.E. angle. Here another street from the Kiosk (K)
meets it and perhaps led in front of the East Colonnade (Y), though the connection between these two could not be accurately traced
(Plan XT.).
These main streets are paved with slabs of sandstone, and where they have not been encroached upon have a width of about 30 metres,
while the smaller ones which intersect the village are from P."> metre to 2-0 metres only.
Starting from the Kiosk (K), the steps of the western gateway are no longer in position at the head of the paved main street, which leads
up to the angle of the Temenos wall and under the gateway of Ptolemy IP, in front of the great pylon. Here it joins the other from the gateway
(R) in front of the little temple (E). In the angle formed by these two streets are what appear to be some of the oldest houses of the village.
They are built of cut stone for a height of about 1*5 metre, above which the walls were carried up in mud brick, of which also the arches
were made, which served as ceilings to the lower rooms, and to carry the floor of the room above. The stones used are from -18 to 20
metre thick, and were very likely obtained from the pavement which surrounded the Temple of Isis, as the chiselled lines on the ground level
course of masonry show. At this time little if any damage would appear to have been done to the Temple of Hathor (G), since no stones
of it have been utilized in these houses. On leaving the Kiosk (K), the second room on the left bears a rude Coptic cross on the stone door
post; the fourth is much larger, and still contains some remains of its vaulted roof of mud brick, which carried an upper floor. Though built
of sun-dried mud brick, there has been an attempt made to give additional strength by burning them in situ, since the walls and arched
roof are burnt red from '01 to '02 metre from the surface, gradually passing into the unaltered mud brick. The same tiling may be seen in
other parts of the village. The angle of the small temple (E) projects into the next room on this side, and here pieces of the stone screen
of the shrine, some drums of the columns, and a cornice block were found. The house walls abut against the temple, and of course are of
much later date. On the right-hand side very little of the walls of the first rooms remain, and they are roughly built of mud brick and
rubble stone, being probably Nubian reconstructions; but the house at the street corner is a much larger one (Photograph No. 9, left side).
Here the rooms remain in fairly good preservation, and in the centre one is the short length of wall which formed the square newel of the
stairway which led to the upper storey of the house. Three steps of the flight alone remain, but these are enough to show that they Avere
carried by a mud brick arch from the newel on one side to a ledge or dee}) groove cut in the wall (Photograph 10) on the other. Here
the road turns to the right and passes the door of the Temple in the Temenos wall (Wa), where the steps have been cut away to allow it
to pass, but remains of the sloping way can be seen under the walls of the Coptic house opposite. This hpuse, also, is one of considerable
si/e, and, judging by the fragments of pillars and carved capitals in the entrance hall at the north-west corner, seems to have been of some
importance. East of this the houses are much ruined and seem to have been dug over, for in the one south of the side door in the Temple
of Hathor (G) modem Arab coins were found at lo and 20 metres from the surface. As already mentioned, fragments of this Temple ((',)
are almost wholly confined to the north side of it, where the houses are much ruined and of little interest. Where the main street turns to
the right and passes along the south side of the Coptic Church (Q), the houses are larger and better, and in one of these, opposite the south-
west door of the church, the diorite state (Photograph Xo. 63) of a somewhat Roman type was found built into a wall. Some 12 or 1:)
metres south of the corner of the road is a water-tank with steps leading down into it, a drain hole for emptying it, and the remains of a
small supply channel through which the water flowed and poured into the tank through a carved lion's head.
From this the street follows the quay wall, which here has a backing of mud brick, and the gateway (R) opens into the space in front of
the Temple of Caesar Augustus (P). To the north of this there are only small lanes and alleys between the houses which seem to
have grown up round a central building, which has been recognised by Ilerr P. Borchardt as a monastery somewhat similar in plan to the large
It
the angle of the Temenos wall (W) of the Temple of Isis, which it follows as far as its S.E. angle. Here another street from the Kiosk (K)
meets it and perhaps led in front of the East Colonnade (Y), though the connection between these two could not be accurately traced
(Plan XT.).
These main streets are paved with slabs of sandstone, and where they have not been encroached upon have a width of about 30 metres,
while the smaller ones which intersect the village are from P."> metre to 2-0 metres only.
Starting from the Kiosk (K), the steps of the western gateway are no longer in position at the head of the paved main street, which leads
up to the angle of the Temenos wall and under the gateway of Ptolemy IP, in front of the great pylon. Here it joins the other from the gateway
(R) in front of the little temple (E). In the angle formed by these two streets are what appear to be some of the oldest houses of the village.
They are built of cut stone for a height of about 1*5 metre, above which the walls were carried up in mud brick, of which also the arches
were made, which served as ceilings to the lower rooms, and to carry the floor of the room above. The stones used are from -18 to 20
metre thick, and were very likely obtained from the pavement which surrounded the Temple of Isis, as the chiselled lines on the ground level
course of masonry show. At this time little if any damage would appear to have been done to the Temple of Hathor (G), since no stones
of it have been utilized in these houses. On leaving the Kiosk (K), the second room on the left bears a rude Coptic cross on the stone door
post; the fourth is much larger, and still contains some remains of its vaulted roof of mud brick, which carried an upper floor. Though built
of sun-dried mud brick, there has been an attempt made to give additional strength by burning them in situ, since the walls and arched
roof are burnt red from '01 to '02 metre from the surface, gradually passing into the unaltered mud brick. The same tiling may be seen in
other parts of the village. The angle of the small temple (E) projects into the next room on this side, and here pieces of the stone screen
of the shrine, some drums of the columns, and a cornice block were found. The house walls abut against the temple, and of course are of
much later date. On the right-hand side very little of the walls of the first rooms remain, and they are roughly built of mud brick and
rubble stone, being probably Nubian reconstructions; but the house at the street corner is a much larger one (Photograph No. 9, left side).
Here the rooms remain in fairly good preservation, and in the centre one is the short length of wall which formed the square newel of the
stairway which led to the upper storey of the house. Three steps of the flight alone remain, but these are enough to show that they Avere
carried by a mud brick arch from the newel on one side to a ledge or dee}) groove cut in the wall (Photograph 10) on the other. Here
the road turns to the right and passes the door of the Temple in the Temenos wall (Wa), where the steps have been cut away to allow it
to pass, but remains of the sloping way can be seen under the walls of the Coptic house opposite. This hpuse, also, is one of considerable
si/e, and, judging by the fragments of pillars and carved capitals in the entrance hall at the north-west corner, seems to have been of some
importance. East of this the houses are much ruined and seem to have been dug over, for in the one south of the side door in the Temple
of Hathor (G) modem Arab coins were found at lo and 20 metres from the surface. As already mentioned, fragments of this Temple ((',)
are almost wholly confined to the north side of it, where the houses are much ruined and of little interest. Where the main street turns to
the right and passes along the south side of the Coptic Church (Q), the houses are larger and better, and in one of these, opposite the south-
west door of the church, the diorite state (Photograph Xo. 63) of a somewhat Roman type was found built into a wall. Some 12 or 1:)
metres south of the corner of the road is a water-tank with steps leading down into it, a drain hole for emptying it, and the remains of a
small supply channel through which the water flowed and poured into the tank through a carved lion's head.
From this the street follows the quay wall, which here has a backing of mud brick, and the gateway (R) opens into the space in front of
the Temple of Caesar Augustus (P). To the north of this there are only small lanes and alleys between the houses which seem to
have grown up round a central building, which has been recognised by Ilerr P. Borchardt as a monastery somewhat similar in plan to the large