DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17#0198
I78 PYRAMIDS AND PROGRESS.
Nubian, and had some melody, which the Arab tunes of Northern Egypt do not
possess. At some of the choruses they all laughed immoderately, but I could
never get a true translation of what was the burthen of their song. We always
anchored for the night at some distance from the shore, as they said the landsmen
in these parts are expert thieves. ;' „.'
The rising sun disclosed the ruins of Kom Ombo, which we had seen in the
distance the night before like an island rising out of the waters. The land is
very flat hereabouts, and the great mounds of an ancient town rise fully a
hundred feet, crowned by a fort of modern times. This town has been builfof
sun-dried bricks, but owing to some great conflagration, they are all converted
A FRESH BREEZE OFF KOM ΟΜΒΟ.
into vitrified red masses. The mounds are bright in colour, and glow like molten
iron in the warm light of sunset or sunrise. The splendid ruins of several temples
rise high above a sharp corner of the river, which has encroached greatly here and
washed away a large part of the ancient buildings. Only half of one tall pylon
remains, the huge blocks of the others lying along the bank or dimly seen in the
muddy waters. M. de Morgan, when Director of Antiquities, had erected a
substantial breakwater of the fallen stones, which will prevent the temple from
being washed away, and he has excavated the ruins thoroughly. They had
been buried for ages, and as a consequence the sculptures had never been injured
or mutilated, and many of their paintings are brilliant still as when the artists
produced them.
Nubian, and had some melody, which the Arab tunes of Northern Egypt do not
possess. At some of the choruses they all laughed immoderately, but I could
never get a true translation of what was the burthen of their song. We always
anchored for the night at some distance from the shore, as they said the landsmen
in these parts are expert thieves. ;' „.'
The rising sun disclosed the ruins of Kom Ombo, which we had seen in the
distance the night before like an island rising out of the waters. The land is
very flat hereabouts, and the great mounds of an ancient town rise fully a
hundred feet, crowned by a fort of modern times. This town has been builfof
sun-dried bricks, but owing to some great conflagration, they are all converted
A FRESH BREEZE OFF KOM ΟΜΒΟ.
into vitrified red masses. The mounds are bright in colour, and glow like molten
iron in the warm light of sunset or sunrise. The splendid ruins of several temples
rise high above a sharp corner of the river, which has encroached greatly here and
washed away a large part of the ancient buildings. Only half of one tall pylon
remains, the huge blocks of the others lying along the bank or dimly seen in the
muddy waters. M. de Morgan, when Director of Antiquities, had erected a
substantial breakwater of the fallen stones, which will prevent the temple from
being washed away, and he has excavated the ruins thoroughly. They had
been buried for ages, and as a consequence the sculptures had never been injured
or mutilated, and many of their paintings are brilliant still as when the artists
produced them.