DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4669#0174
146 THE LAND OF THE MONUMENTS
fies good, great, &c* We rode for some distance in
single file until we reached the high causeway which
forms the only communication between the villages
of Bedresheyn, Mitraheny, and Sakkarah during the
flood season ; crossing the ancient channel of the
Nile, from which the river was diverted by Mena, un-
reached the Desert of Sakkarah.
The view of the wide expanse of the Western
Desert backed by the Lybian hills is very fine,
commanding as it does the entire range of the
Pyramid region. From no point of view can the
complete series be so well seen as from this embanked
road. The sun has considerable power earl)' in the
year, but the heat, though great, was pleasantly
tempered by the north wind, which prevails generally
at this season. The colouring of the whole scene was
most lovely, cloud shadows of blue and purple adding
greatly to its beauty. These shadows are only more
or less subdued light, and are never so opaque and
heavy as art too frequently represents them. The
Sakkarah Pyramids are particularly interesting ; the
largest, the Step Pyramid, resembles more closely a
Mesopotamian tower or Ziggarut than the Pyramids
of Egypt. It was placed upon the highest ground in
the necropolis, an imposing position. Though the
largest here, it does not compare in size with the
giant forms of Ghizch. The neighbouring village of
Sakkarah gives the name to the whole of the Desert
Cemetery. 11 was probably derived U-< >m /'/,/// Socharis
Osiris, the God and Ruler of the necropolis; he-
was represented as a child or dwarf with the sacred
scarabeus on his head, at other times as a hawk, with
the same dwarf human figure in front (I have speci-
• Wilkinson, "Ancient Egyptians," vol. iii. p. 319.
fies good, great, &c* We rode for some distance in
single file until we reached the high causeway which
forms the only communication between the villages
of Bedresheyn, Mitraheny, and Sakkarah during the
flood season ; crossing the ancient channel of the
Nile, from which the river was diverted by Mena, un-
reached the Desert of Sakkarah.
The view of the wide expanse of the Western
Desert backed by the Lybian hills is very fine,
commanding as it does the entire range of the
Pyramid region. From no point of view can the
complete series be so well seen as from this embanked
road. The sun has considerable power earl)' in the
year, but the heat, though great, was pleasantly
tempered by the north wind, which prevails generally
at this season. The colouring of the whole scene was
most lovely, cloud shadows of blue and purple adding
greatly to its beauty. These shadows are only more
or less subdued light, and are never so opaque and
heavy as art too frequently represents them. The
Sakkarah Pyramids are particularly interesting ; the
largest, the Step Pyramid, resembles more closely a
Mesopotamian tower or Ziggarut than the Pyramids
of Egypt. It was placed upon the highest ground in
the necropolis, an imposing position. Though the
largest here, it does not compare in size with the
giant forms of Ghizch. The neighbouring village of
Sakkarah gives the name to the whole of the Desert
Cemetery. 11 was probably derived U-< >m /'/,/// Socharis
Osiris, the God and Ruler of the necropolis; he-
was represented as a child or dwarf with the sacred
scarabeus on his head, at other times as a hawk, with
the same dwarf human figure in front (I have speci-
• Wilkinson, "Ancient Egyptians," vol. iii. p. 319.