DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17#0067
MEMPHIS - SAKE A RA H—APIS MAUSOLEUM.
t be photographed.
the scene of his wonderful discovery of the Apis Mausoleum.
Mariette was a wonderful man, a Pet rie of thirty years ago. He was deter-
mined to explore the wonders of Sakkarah, and so he built himself this hut
in the desert sands of the great cemetery. There he dwelt several seasons,
making his famous discoveries all round. One day he saw that the sand had
blown away and disclosed a line of small stone sphinxes. Several of such had
been brought into Cairo for sale—before his time—and two of them guard the
doors of Shepheard's Hotel to this day. But they were found to have been
brought from Sakkarah, and this made Manette decide to search there for
more. A passage in Strabo told him that they had formed part of the
"dromos" or avenue leading to the burial-place of the Apis-bulls. He
excavated on the spot, and discovered the lost Apis Mausoleum. It had been
known to the classic writers, but the sands of the
desert had entombed it for 2,000 years. It proved to
be an avenue 600 feet long, and hundreds of sphinxes
or their pedestals still remained to guide the way.
The sand had obliterated the entrance to a vast sub-
terranean hall 1,200 feet long and to vaults in which
the Sacred Bulls were buried on each side. The
animals were enclosed in granite coffins, some of which
will hold five persons, each of one block of Assouan
svenite. Twenty-four such coffins are now to be seen,
dagger and belt, with j ,, . , f . ,. - ,
title of Ramses and this hall is only a part or the vast collection of
t be photographed.
the scene of his wonderful discovery of the Apis Mausoleum.
Mariette was a wonderful man, a Pet rie of thirty years ago. He was deter-
mined to explore the wonders of Sakkarah, and so he built himself this hut
in the desert sands of the great cemetery. There he dwelt several seasons,
making his famous discoveries all round. One day he saw that the sand had
blown away and disclosed a line of small stone sphinxes. Several of such had
been brought into Cairo for sale—before his time—and two of them guard the
doors of Shepheard's Hotel to this day. But they were found to have been
brought from Sakkarah, and this made Manette decide to search there for
more. A passage in Strabo told him that they had formed part of the
"dromos" or avenue leading to the burial-place of the Apis-bulls. He
excavated on the spot, and discovered the lost Apis Mausoleum. It had been
known to the classic writers, but the sands of the
desert had entombed it for 2,000 years. It proved to
be an avenue 600 feet long, and hundreds of sphinxes
or their pedestals still remained to guide the way.
The sand had obliterated the entrance to a vast sub-
terranean hall 1,200 feet long and to vaults in which
the Sacred Bulls were buried on each side. The
animals were enclosed in granite coffins, some of which
will hold five persons, each of one block of Assouan
svenite. Twenty-four such coffins are now to be seen,
dagger and belt, with j ,, . , f . ,. - ,
title of Ramses and this hall is only a part or the vast collection of