DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4147#0034
■ — 'l
AKCHITECTUEAL DESCRIPTION.
27
the curved roof must have suffered seriously, and it
does not seem to have done so.
Near the west end of the south wall is another
recess similar to that already mentioned. This retains
its left jamb and part of the lintel. The right jamb,
of rough stone, is modern, and has been set up by the
Egypt Exploration Fund.
The north wall of the room presents the same
characteristics as the south—big stones and little stones
intermingled, the surfaces much defaced.
There were recesses or shrines in this wall similar to
those opposite, but the easternmost has been built up.
The left jamb of the western recess remains in its
place. The right jamb was partly effaced in the re-
pairs by the Egypt Exploration Fund.
The end or west wall of the first chamber has
suffered severely, partly we may suppose by violence,
but not a little by dislocation caused by movement of
the cliff into which the sanctuary is tunnelled.
The lintel of the doorway had fallen and had
descended nearly to the sill. It was raised in 1896 by
the Egypt Exploration Fund and set in its place,
whilst the south jamb was entirely rebuilt. I venture
to think that the dislocations and repairs took place
not very long after the temple was built.
The second chamber is a little more narrow, and is
also lower in height than the first. The roof is con-
structed of overhanging stones, their undersides cut to
a semi-circle. The masonry of this chamber does not
show signs of dislocation, as in the room last described,
until we examine the west end of it, and here we find
that the masonry is no longer of limestone.
A doorway has been broken through leading to a
small flat-roofed chamber, the whole built of sandstone,
the walls covered with sculpture of the poorest charac-
ter, and of very late date.
It is very rare in Egypt to find any remains of
gilding, but on the west wall of this inner room it is
still evident that the sculpture had been thus enriched.
Returning to the court or upper platform we must
now take in review its western wall, which has suffered
more than many parts of the temple. In some places
it has been overthrown, but the lower parts which still
remain in position have not been seriously shaken.
The damage has been caused by some heavy push
from behind, i.e. from the west, eastward. A part of
the wall has evidently come down into the courtyard
flat on its face.
It has been stated that the temple to the north and
west is overshadowed by magnificent cliffs forming a
" circle," and this is true enough. But these majestic
masses of limestone rest on a stratum of a very poor
shale, a material which, when cut into, quickly suffers
from exposure to the air, and breaks up into small
fragments. The tremendous changes of temperature to
which the cliffs are exposed between the intense heat
of the day and the cold at night is also a cause of
disintegration, and consequently many pieces are con-
stantly falling from above. It cannot be doubted that
quite a slight earth tremor would at the present time
bring down a cascade of fragments.
Something of this sort has clearly happened, per-
haps on several occasions, and the result has always
been the same—to push parts of the temple over from
the west towards the east.
It is probable that the dislocations in the sanctuary,
to which attention has already been called, were
caused by some such accident, and that quite early in
the long history of the temple, as I have already stated.
The parts of the west wall that have been so seriously
overthrown had been very roughly rebuilt or the gaps
filled hi, the retaining walls built chiefly of stones
taken either from the fallen wall itself or from other
parts of the building.
When the place was taken possession of by the
Christians the floor of the upper court cannot have
been very much buried, as the buildings then set up
stood on this floor level.
In order that the somewhat feeble construction of the
sanctuary roofs, arches as they are only in appearance,
might be saved from undue pressure, relief was
obtained by setting together massive stones, presenting
more or less of a point where they meet, a system
practised from early times, as we find it in use in the
interior of the pyramids of Gizeh, Saqqara, and else-
where.
The material used in the construction of the whole
building is, as has already been stated, limestone, the
exception being in the architraves joining the columns
of the northern colonnade and the footings made use
of in a few places beneath the limestone walls. The
footing courses, whether of sandstone or limestone, are
of stones of medium size and arranged as " headers."
So far as can be seen these footing stones are laid only
under the facing stones of the wall, not beneath its
whole thickness.
The facing stones are but small, and these thin off
as they enter the substance of the wall. They do not
AKCHITECTUEAL DESCRIPTION.
27
the curved roof must have suffered seriously, and it
does not seem to have done so.
Near the west end of the south wall is another
recess similar to that already mentioned. This retains
its left jamb and part of the lintel. The right jamb,
of rough stone, is modern, and has been set up by the
Egypt Exploration Fund.
The north wall of the room presents the same
characteristics as the south—big stones and little stones
intermingled, the surfaces much defaced.
There were recesses or shrines in this wall similar to
those opposite, but the easternmost has been built up.
The left jamb of the western recess remains in its
place. The right jamb was partly effaced in the re-
pairs by the Egypt Exploration Fund.
The end or west wall of the first chamber has
suffered severely, partly we may suppose by violence,
but not a little by dislocation caused by movement of
the cliff into which the sanctuary is tunnelled.
The lintel of the doorway had fallen and had
descended nearly to the sill. It was raised in 1896 by
the Egypt Exploration Fund and set in its place,
whilst the south jamb was entirely rebuilt. I venture
to think that the dislocations and repairs took place
not very long after the temple was built.
The second chamber is a little more narrow, and is
also lower in height than the first. The roof is con-
structed of overhanging stones, their undersides cut to
a semi-circle. The masonry of this chamber does not
show signs of dislocation, as in the room last described,
until we examine the west end of it, and here we find
that the masonry is no longer of limestone.
A doorway has been broken through leading to a
small flat-roofed chamber, the whole built of sandstone,
the walls covered with sculpture of the poorest charac-
ter, and of very late date.
It is very rare in Egypt to find any remains of
gilding, but on the west wall of this inner room it is
still evident that the sculpture had been thus enriched.
Returning to the court or upper platform we must
now take in review its western wall, which has suffered
more than many parts of the temple. In some places
it has been overthrown, but the lower parts which still
remain in position have not been seriously shaken.
The damage has been caused by some heavy push
from behind, i.e. from the west, eastward. A part of
the wall has evidently come down into the courtyard
flat on its face.
It has been stated that the temple to the north and
west is overshadowed by magnificent cliffs forming a
" circle," and this is true enough. But these majestic
masses of limestone rest on a stratum of a very poor
shale, a material which, when cut into, quickly suffers
from exposure to the air, and breaks up into small
fragments. The tremendous changes of temperature to
which the cliffs are exposed between the intense heat
of the day and the cold at night is also a cause of
disintegration, and consequently many pieces are con-
stantly falling from above. It cannot be doubted that
quite a slight earth tremor would at the present time
bring down a cascade of fragments.
Something of this sort has clearly happened, per-
haps on several occasions, and the result has always
been the same—to push parts of the temple over from
the west towards the east.
It is probable that the dislocations in the sanctuary,
to which attention has already been called, were
caused by some such accident, and that quite early in
the long history of the temple, as I have already stated.
The parts of the west wall that have been so seriously
overthrown had been very roughly rebuilt or the gaps
filled hi, the retaining walls built chiefly of stones
taken either from the fallen wall itself or from other
parts of the building.
When the place was taken possession of by the
Christians the floor of the upper court cannot have
been very much buried, as the buildings then set up
stood on this floor level.
In order that the somewhat feeble construction of the
sanctuary roofs, arches as they are only in appearance,
might be saved from undue pressure, relief was
obtained by setting together massive stones, presenting
more or less of a point where they meet, a system
practised from early times, as we find it in use in the
interior of the pyramids of Gizeh, Saqqara, and else-
where.
The material used in the construction of the whole
building is, as has already been stated, limestone, the
exception being in the architraves joining the columns
of the northern colonnade and the footings made use
of in a few places beneath the limestone walls. The
footing courses, whether of sandstone or limestone, are
of stones of medium size and arranged as " headers."
So far as can be seen these footing stones are laid only
under the facing stones of the wall, not beneath its
whole thickness.
The facing stones are but small, and these thin off
as they enter the substance of the wall. They do not