DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4023#0051
AND NUBIA, 5
S o m e ancient authors have written, that these two obelisks were in their
time in the palace of Cleopatra ; but they do not tell us, who caused them to
be placed there. It is probable that these monuments are much, more ancient
than the city os Alexandria, and that they were brought from some place in
Egypt, for the ornament os this palace. This conjecture has so much the more
foundation, as it is known, that at the time os the soundation os Alexandria,
they no longer made any of thefe monuments, covered with hieroglyphics, of
which they had already long since loft both the knowledge and the ufe.
The two sides os such hard stone, spoiled and essaced, mew us the great Sideg os the
disference there is between the climate of Alexandria, and that of all the rest of j*J*es-
Egypt; for it is neither fire, nor a brutal hand, that has damaged thefe ftones. Plate IX.
One fees clearly, that it is only the injury os time, that has eaten fome of the
figures, and which has effaced fome others, tho' they were very deeply en-
graven.
A s the designs give exactly the contours os the sigures, which cover the faces
os this obelifk, I fhall forbear entering into a larger detail. Thus, after having
given all that I know, with regard to this monument, I quit it, to examine
what is sound at the soot os the walls, and along the sea-fhore, from the
obelifk quite towards the Little Pharillon.
I h a v e already said, that in the sront os the obelisk, we sind a great quan-
tity of divers sorts of marble, which appear to have been employed in some mag-
nificent edisice. We easily judge, that they are the ruins os the palace, which
was fituated in the place where the .obelifk is. It is only becaufe they are in the
fea, that they remain there. The access is too dissicult to draw them from
thence, and to carry them away. It has not been the same with regard to
those, which, having sallen, continued upon the ground. They have carried
a part os them away, to transport them elsewhere; and the rest has been em-
ployed in the new Alexandria. There is therefore no reafon to be furprifed,
if in the fpace we are going over, one finds no more ruins os such choice ma-
terials. In reality, one perceives there only works of brick burnt by the sire
and very hard. They deserve, however, our attention, fmce they prefent them-
felves with an air os antiquity. Some vaulted canals, open and in part silled
up; apartments hals destroyed; whole walls thrown down, without the
bricks being detached ; all this proves that they are not works of a modern con-
strudhon. Unsortunately, these ruins make so consused a chaos, that one can-
not form to one's fels a juft idea os the edisices, which were in this quarter ; all
that one can imagine is, that these buildings belonged to the palace, and that
they were employed in disserent uses, such as to serve for common fewers, pri-
vate houses, guard-houses, and other like things.
Curiosity leads us no surther on that fide. There would st ill remain to be
examined the Little Pharillon, but the garrison does not permit the entrance os
it. We muft therefore be fatisfied with going to see what thofe great towers
C are.
S o m e ancient authors have written, that these two obelisks were in their
time in the palace of Cleopatra ; but they do not tell us, who caused them to
be placed there. It is probable that these monuments are much, more ancient
than the city os Alexandria, and that they were brought from some place in
Egypt, for the ornament os this palace. This conjecture has so much the more
foundation, as it is known, that at the time os the soundation os Alexandria,
they no longer made any of thefe monuments, covered with hieroglyphics, of
which they had already long since loft both the knowledge and the ufe.
The two sides os such hard stone, spoiled and essaced, mew us the great Sideg os the
disference there is between the climate of Alexandria, and that of all the rest of j*J*es-
Egypt; for it is neither fire, nor a brutal hand, that has damaged thefe ftones. Plate IX.
One fees clearly, that it is only the injury os time, that has eaten fome of the
figures, and which has effaced fome others, tho' they were very deeply en-
graven.
A s the designs give exactly the contours os the sigures, which cover the faces
os this obelifk, I fhall forbear entering into a larger detail. Thus, after having
given all that I know, with regard to this monument, I quit it, to examine
what is sound at the soot os the walls, and along the sea-fhore, from the
obelifk quite towards the Little Pharillon.
I h a v e already said, that in the sront os the obelisk, we sind a great quan-
tity of divers sorts of marble, which appear to have been employed in some mag-
nificent edisice. We easily judge, that they are the ruins os the palace, which
was fituated in the place where the .obelifk is. It is only becaufe they are in the
fea, that they remain there. The access is too dissicult to draw them from
thence, and to carry them away. It has not been the same with regard to
those, which, having sallen, continued upon the ground. They have carried
a part os them away, to transport them elsewhere; and the rest has been em-
ployed in the new Alexandria. There is therefore no reafon to be furprifed,
if in the fpace we are going over, one finds no more ruins os such choice ma-
terials. In reality, one perceives there only works of brick burnt by the sire
and very hard. They deserve, however, our attention, fmce they prefent them-
felves with an air os antiquity. Some vaulted canals, open and in part silled
up; apartments hals destroyed; whole walls thrown down, without the
bricks being detached ; all this proves that they are not works of a modern con-
strudhon. Unsortunately, these ruins make so consused a chaos, that one can-
not form to one's fels a juft idea os the edisices, which were in this quarter ; all
that one can imagine is, that these buildings belonged to the palace, and that
they were employed in disserent uses, such as to serve for common fewers, pri-
vate houses, guard-houses, and other like things.
Curiosity leads us no surther on that fide. There would st ill remain to be
examined the Little Pharillon, but the garrison does not permit the entrance os
it. We muft therefore be fatisfied with going to see what thofe great towers
C are.