DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3990#0042
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THE QUAY WALL.
Letter X.
Number 23.
Level Number 10.
At one time there is no doubt that the island was completely encircled by a masonry quay wall, though now several portions of it are missing,
having probably fallen down, and to-day at the south-eastern corner of the island only a few detached portions of the original wall remain.
On the south side there is a piece of wall running cast and west for about twenty-one metres, and west of this a projecting wall running south, as though
it once formed part of a projecting quay, in which case it may have joined on to the south stairway (S), which now lies between the quay wall, by the Temple
of Nectanebo (A), and a masonry wall on the other side (Photograph No. 28). If the wall be followed round the south-west corner of the island as far as
the entrance doorway, at the bottom of the west stairway (T), in which part it rests on granite, it will be seen that the portion in which this stairway is, is
divided from the rest of the wall by two vertical joints, which slope slightly outwards (Photograph No. 2!)). The portion between these joints is certainly
older than the portions of the wall adjoining it, and it seems to have been at one time a projecting quay, which, when this part of the island was enlarged,
was brought into line with the west face of the island by building the new quay wall to join on to the west face of the older quay, though not quite in the
same line with it. This older quay contained the west stairway (T), but in many other respects was like the other projecting quays in front of the Kiosk (K)
behind the Temple of Hathor (('<), and near the Temple of Caesar Augustus (L) ; like them, the outer face was built concave, the centre of the curve being
about '20 metre inside the straight line, and this construction, to resist the pressure of the earth behind, is carried down to about 2'00 metres from the bottom
of the wall, for which distance the courses are laid with a straight face. All the part of the quay wall throughout the length of the West Colonnade (Z) carries
a wall which was built at the same time as the colonnade, and which will be described with it. Following the quay wall northwards, it is seen to have
originally continued behind the projecting quay, under which the Nilometer (U) is, and which must have been added on later, since a vertical joint separates
them, except where the top few courses have been relaid. Beyond this it is difficult to distinguish the early wall from later additions, which the vertical
joints noted in the Nilometer (U) most probably indicate; but at the end of a stairway which leads down to the river outside the wall here, the quay wall
turns eastward for a few metres and then resumes its northerly direction, being cut through by the north stairway (V) at a point in which the vertical joints
mark the outer face of the wall. Next to this is a small projecting quay, and a vertical joint with a wall turning inwards seems to show that the existing
quay wall beyond it is of different date. The north end of the island is enclosed by a length of quay wall which turns southwards and runs on to the
north-west corner of the quay by the Temple of Csesar Augustus (L), being throughout this portion of its length concealed by the bank of Nile mud which
has been deposited against it. The concave construction of this quay to resist the pressure of the earth behind it has already been mentioned, and the lower
courses, which have been built straight, here rest on blocks of granite which form part of the solid rock of the island, and extend a. short distance south-
wards ; here a few squared sandstone blocks rest upon them, but it cannot now be seen whether there was a stairway here as well as alongside the Avail to
the south, where a very gradual incline leads from the river up to the gateway above. The actual relation of this stairway to the quay wall beside it could
not be seen, owing to the palm trees and bushes of henna and sunt which now grow upon it. The projecting quay behind the Temple of Hathor
(G), contains a passage within it, and there was a door leading into it from the north side. Perhaps this door originally communicated with a stairway
leading up to the pavement above, but no traces of it now remain. Four windows, '52 x-56 metre, in the outer wall light this passage, but
only one of them is now open, the other three having been built up with cut stone. The connection of this quay with the next one in front of the Kiosk
(K) cannot now be traced, since the houses of the village have filled up the space between them, but it is clear that these quays arc of older date than the
temples which have been built upon them, since the axes of the two structures are far from parallel. The parapet on the south side of the Kiosk quay is
THE QUAY WALL.
Letter X.
Number 23.
Level Number 10.
At one time there is no doubt that the island was completely encircled by a masonry quay wall, though now several portions of it are missing,
having probably fallen down, and to-day at the south-eastern corner of the island only a few detached portions of the original wall remain.
On the south side there is a piece of wall running cast and west for about twenty-one metres, and west of this a projecting wall running south, as though
it once formed part of a projecting quay, in which case it may have joined on to the south stairway (S), which now lies between the quay wall, by the Temple
of Nectanebo (A), and a masonry wall on the other side (Photograph No. 28). If the wall be followed round the south-west corner of the island as far as
the entrance doorway, at the bottom of the west stairway (T), in which part it rests on granite, it will be seen that the portion in which this stairway is, is
divided from the rest of the wall by two vertical joints, which slope slightly outwards (Photograph No. 2!)). The portion between these joints is certainly
older than the portions of the wall adjoining it, and it seems to have been at one time a projecting quay, which, when this part of the island was enlarged,
was brought into line with the west face of the island by building the new quay wall to join on to the west face of the older quay, though not quite in the
same line with it. This older quay contained the west stairway (T), but in many other respects was like the other projecting quays in front of the Kiosk (K)
behind the Temple of Hathor (('<), and near the Temple of Caesar Augustus (L) ; like them, the outer face was built concave, the centre of the curve being
about '20 metre inside the straight line, and this construction, to resist the pressure of the earth behind, is carried down to about 2'00 metres from the bottom
of the wall, for which distance the courses are laid with a straight face. All the part of the quay wall throughout the length of the West Colonnade (Z) carries
a wall which was built at the same time as the colonnade, and which will be described with it. Following the quay wall northwards, it is seen to have
originally continued behind the projecting quay, under which the Nilometer (U) is, and which must have been added on later, since a vertical joint separates
them, except where the top few courses have been relaid. Beyond this it is difficult to distinguish the early wall from later additions, which the vertical
joints noted in the Nilometer (U) most probably indicate; but at the end of a stairway which leads down to the river outside the wall here, the quay wall
turns eastward for a few metres and then resumes its northerly direction, being cut through by the north stairway (V) at a point in which the vertical joints
mark the outer face of the wall. Next to this is a small projecting quay, and a vertical joint with a wall turning inwards seems to show that the existing
quay wall beyond it is of different date. The north end of the island is enclosed by a length of quay wall which turns southwards and runs on to the
north-west corner of the quay by the Temple of Csesar Augustus (L), being throughout this portion of its length concealed by the bank of Nile mud which
has been deposited against it. The concave construction of this quay to resist the pressure of the earth behind it has already been mentioned, and the lower
courses, which have been built straight, here rest on blocks of granite which form part of the solid rock of the island, and extend a. short distance south-
wards ; here a few squared sandstone blocks rest upon them, but it cannot now be seen whether there was a stairway here as well as alongside the Avail to
the south, where a very gradual incline leads from the river up to the gateway above. The actual relation of this stairway to the quay wall beside it could
not be seen, owing to the palm trees and bushes of henna and sunt which now grow upon it. The projecting quay behind the Temple of Hathor
(G), contains a passage within it, and there was a door leading into it from the north side. Perhaps this door originally communicated with a stairway
leading up to the pavement above, but no traces of it now remain. Four windows, '52 x-56 metre, in the outer wall light this passage, but
only one of them is now open, the other three having been built up with cut stone. The connection of this quay with the next one in front of the Kiosk
(K) cannot now be traced, since the houses of the village have filled up the space between them, but it is clear that these quays arc of older date than the
temples which have been built upon them, since the axes of the two structures are far from parallel. The parapet on the south side of the Kiosk quay is