DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9059#0216
KARNAK— THE GRANITE CHAMBERS. 199
other which matched it, were actually com-
pleted and erected, viz., "in seven months,
from the very beginning, when first extracted
from the quarry in the mountain." It is per-
haps superfluous to add that the caryatides,
some of which still remain, are nothing but
representations of Thothmes I. in the character
of Osiris as king of all ages and arbiter of man's
destiny.
Hall of the Eighteen Columns (P).— This
portion of the temple has greatly suffered and
does not present any particular interest. This
Hall was founded by Thothmes I., whose car-
touches are still to be seen on the two polygonal
columns sunk in the masonry to the right and
to the left of the entrance. The work was
completed by his son, the same who rendered
the name of Thothmes so famous.
The granite Chambers and their Dependencies.
— We here enter a part of the temple of which
the little hall R is evidently the nucleus and
the centre. This hall was constructed by
Thothmes III., and if no other cartouches but
those of Philip Aridoeus are now to be read
here, it is owing to the circumstance that the
walls of the chamber having been found in an
other which matched it, were actually com-
pleted and erected, viz., "in seven months,
from the very beginning, when first extracted
from the quarry in the mountain." It is per-
haps superfluous to add that the caryatides,
some of which still remain, are nothing but
representations of Thothmes I. in the character
of Osiris as king of all ages and arbiter of man's
destiny.
Hall of the Eighteen Columns (P).— This
portion of the temple has greatly suffered and
does not present any particular interest. This
Hall was founded by Thothmes I., whose car-
touches are still to be seen on the two polygonal
columns sunk in the masonry to the right and
to the left of the entrance. The work was
completed by his son, the same who rendered
the name of Thothmes so famous.
The granite Chambers and their Dependencies.
— We here enter a part of the temple of which
the little hall R is evidently the nucleus and
the centre. This hall was constructed by
Thothmes III., and if no other cartouches but
those of Philip Aridoeus are now to be read
here, it is owing to the circumstance that the
walls of the chamber having been found in an