Some Impressions of Architecture in Egypt.

Progress, Volume XV, Issue 12, 1 August 1920, Page 855

Some Impressions of Architecture in Egypt.

By F. E. Greenish, A.R.I. Wellington.

It is not without some misgiving that one takes up a pen to write an article on the impressions received of Architecture in Egypt, now 3600 years old; nor will a diversion into the life of the Egyptian

of palm timber and palm leaves covered with rammed mud. His fuel consists of camel dung. He ploughs by oxen with a wooden plough. Water which requires to he raised to a higher level is bailed up by

native of to-day in any way convince one by comparison of the great strides that have been made during the ages past. But such retrospection and comparison shews unmistakably of what conservative character the Egyptian native is composed, the primitive state of the existing masses and the high development to which th,e rulers of ancient times attained.

The Egyptian peasant of the present day lives in a most rudimentary manner. His house is built of mud bricks, sun-dried as of old, and its roof of pieces

rudimentary machines called chadoufs. ” The marvellous network of small canals which irrigate what would otherwise he but parched desert, and provide in some cases five crops per year, and contained in mud banks, provided with wooden locks and gates. Figs. 1 to 7 shew some aspects of the life of the modern Egyptian.

During a stay in camp near Tel el Kebir on the banks of the sweet water canal between Cairo and Israailieh, came the word early one morning in May 1916, that leave could be obtained to visit Luxor and

its wonders, and within an hour three fly-worried, sunbaked persons after a dash to he ready, found themselves in a train en route for Luxor via Cairo. Midday brought us to Cairo with the solace of good meals free from bully-beef, rancid butter and sand washed down with really cold liquid. Early in the evening we started on our next journey of over 400 miles by train up the green and fertile strip of Nile valley, sleeping as well as we could on the well upholstered leather seats either in a state of hot suffocation with closed windows or subjecetd to a deluge of sand. However, early morning saw us nearing our destination and with it appeared on the train numerous would-be “dragomen” (guides). In some doubt as to the wisdom of our choice, we engaged the handsome looking gentleman in flowing tussore silk

to the Temple of Luxor (Figs. 8, 10, 18 and 19), much of which is still buried in the sand and litter of ages, as the tomb of a Sheikh (shewn in Fig. 10), which is on the site, cannot be removed owing to Modammedan objection. Entering between the two pylons with their seated colossi of Rhameses 11. flanking the door, we came upon the forecourt of Rhameses 11., (the Great), (Fig. 8), in which will be noticed the enormous statues of this truly vain monarch, all of them severely damaged by Cambyses the Persian King during his invasion of Egypt. The illustration shews the most perfect of the statues, but even this has lost the peculiar mitre-like Egyptian Crown. A small statue by his side shews his Queen Nefertari. Passing between the enormous central columns of the Hypostyle Hallattributed to

garb with a clean tarbduche whose portrait may occasionally be recognised in the photographs—without doubt Ibrahim Ayan, for that was his name, fully justified our confidence. His knowledge, energy and courtesy were all that could be desired, and withal he shewed that rare quality in the Egyptian fair dealing. He took us round for two days, paying all entrance fees, carriages, boats and donkeys for a fee of 200 piastres each (a little over £2 each). Our hotel accommodation was also both com fortable and moderate in cost.

After baths to rinse off our coating of sand, and a rest in the cool, we sauntered forth from the gate of the Luxor Hotel a short distance along the river

Horemheb, the court of Emenhotep with its profusion of columns of the lotus bud form, is opened before our eyes (Fig. 19). The grace and dignity of this court and its great extent give a much higher opinion of the work in this temple than is gathered from most writers. In the Sanctuary of this temple was once a Roman altar, and it was evidently used as a Roman Celia; later on the Christians made the same compartment into a chapel, plastering the hieroglyphs over and painting thereon a fresco of a Christian saint said to be St. John, which is still visible. ■ • ' :

A carriage drive in the afternoon took us to the Arab village of Karnak, which is the Great Temple

of Amen-ra, (generally known as Ammon), King of Kings and God of the Sun, to give him his full title. (Pigs. 14, 16, 17, 20, 21). This temple as many others was approached by an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes which at one time extended to connect with the Temple at Luxor. In previous times there were also, as at Luxor, two obelisks at the entrance. On entering the first objects that strike the eye are the large isolated columns of a great hall which Rhameses 11. left incomplete. (Pig. 16). Beyond this is the famous Hypostyle hall of Maoephtha (Fig. 20), the father of the great Ehameses. This is probably the

most glorious monument of ancient Egypt, measuring 340 feet by 170 feet, with 122 columns of the lotus bud type and twelve larger columns 69 feet high and nearly 12 feet in diameter, supporting the roof in the centre. Whilst in here we were treated to a sand storm and a shower of rain, the latter said to have, been the first for five years, a statement which we did not know if we ought to believe. Beyond the Hypostyle hall are two obelisks— record of the life and work of Thothmes I. and his daughter, Queen Hatshepsu. In rear of the Temple proper though portion of it is the great Palace or Banquetting hall of Thothmes 111., (Fig. 17). Here should

be noted the 16-sided columns with square abacus, so reminiscent of the Greek Doric Order, but erected by a Pharoah twelve hundred years before and such example as we know of was erected in Greece. At the side of the Temple is the sacred lake (Pig. 21) on which periodically were held some mystical rites in connection with the sacred boat of the God Horus, God of the Western Sun, to whom the spirits of the departed were conveyed after death.

Prom this place we made our way to the Temple of Horns or Khonsu, sometimes known as the small south Temple at Karnak. This is likewise approach-

ed through an avenue of sphinxes or rams to the propylon or gateway of Ptolemy Buergetes 1., built at a much later date, (Fig. 22). The pylons of the temple are seen beyond, entering between which the very beautiful forecourt is disclosed (Fig. 11). The pylons are unsculptured and in very excellent preservation, as is the whole Temple, and consequently one obtains a far more realistic impression of the appearance of an Egyptian temple than from the more ruined examples, furthermore the plan is simple and easily understood. The appearance of this court in the last rays of the setting sun looking into the mystery of the hall in rear is not easily forgotten.

The dusk swiftly following on the setting of the sun compelled our retirement to our quarters. ( The next morning, rising early, we took boat across the Nile at 7 a.m., and landed on the western bank,

the background of rugged, barren hills being baked in the fierce glare of the brilliant morning sun. Donkeys awaited us on the bank and we rode off with as much comfort as we could in the blazing heat, bound for the Tombs of the Kings in the valley of Biban el Melouk, followed it appeared by half the countryside, who appeared to rise from any odd nook, trying to sell genuine antiques, which shewed no sign of their recent manufacture, Ibrahim assured us, and put the gentlemen to flight with a few words which may not have been polite but were evidently forcible. However, some of llie fugitives appeared to be able to Keep up with our donkeys and produced at every halt unlimited bottles of lemonade from nowhere, so we quite forgave their fraudulent intentions in our great desire for moisturewe were still thirsty after drinking 7 bottles in 5 hours. On arrival at these tombs cut deep into the ragged rock we had to await

the starting of the electric light with which they are most incongruously lighted and then we entered.

All the tombs were very similar in having steeply sloping galleries, some now fitted with wooden steps, others with very roughly hewn stone steps and rather difficult of descent, at the bottom of which are large rooms, and then a further succession of galleries and chambers until the actual chamber of the dead is reached. The sepulchral chambers were very cunningly concealed, and in some cases false chambers were provided, and the actual chambers sealed, with difficult approaches. In most of these both sarcophagus and mummy have been removed, but we saw one which had been left in a glass ease illumined by electric light, the face still remarkably well preserved, and having nothing but a placid and happy expression, There were also in the same tomb the mummied remains of one of the Queens remarkably beautiful, the natural hair still preserved and with a lustre still remaining. Most of the chambers are covered with heiroglyphics beautifully painted on the smooth plastering of the walls, recording the life history of

the departed and his expectations of the life to come, and even in some cases giving the name of every slave employed in the work. In parts some of the work is quite unfinished, being only drawn out in

charcoal and shewing the corrections of the chief artist; the death of the proposed occupant having stopped the power of the directing impulse.

.f rom here we proceeded to the tombs of the princes, these being similar to those of the Kings, but owing to the rock being of denser quality the heiroglyphics are most beautifully sculptured on a very small scale, instead of being painted.

Our next journey was to the great Palace-temple of Khameses 11., Known as the Bhamession. The exact purpose of this building is in doubt, but it is considered as the Memnomum of Amenopins, and me similar ding ui rtameses lii. at Medium uianou, to nave men a place wnere the monarch sat pondering on ms own greatness during ins me, and peneciing ins Knowledge, and as a temple lo ms memory alter ms death, in any case me pian adopts me general pnncpie of other templesa orecourt open to me air, a ilypostyie hail lighted by clerestory, and smaller sanctuary without me light of day, thus gradually increasing in mystery as in sacredness. The h orecourt of this bunding is adorned with great statues of the founder, surrounding an enormous monolithic statue of the same monarch which tias been overthrown and badly broken by (Jambyses the, Persian, who appears to have had a particular hatred of Baineses' greatness. The Hypostyle hall is illustrated in Fig. 9, and is remarkable for the very fine central columns with their beautiful and tasteful details. From the Bhamession we visited the tomb of Queen Hatshepsu, daughter of Thothmes 1., who succeeded to the throne after the death of her husband and ruled Egypt, continuing the expeditions and conquests with great capability. Her brother, Thothmes 111., who was the greatest of Egyptian conquerors and added more to its territory than, any other of the Pharaohs, so detested the memory of her greatness that he destroyed her image wherever found. Her originality and character are finely expressed in this sepulchral temple. It is constructed on the side of the hill in three enormous terraces, with sloping causeways in place of steps, giving access from one level to another (Fig. 12), and each terrace is finished with beautiful colonnades of more delicate, proportion than seems to have been considered right in the temples previously described. In Fig. 15 is shewn the detail of these columns which are so very close an approach to the Greek Doric as to leave hardly any doubt as to its origin. The stone work is of a fine grained limestone, the columns being built up and not rock cut, and 16-sided, and the sides slightly hollowed to give greater prominence to the sharp angles. Inside this beautiful colonnade are bas-reliefs of great delicacy and truth of expression, depicting the expedition of Queen Hatshepsu to the Island of Punt, considered by some to have been Mauritius. The extreme fineness of drawing and workmanship of these sculptures, which are far more advanced than the usual heiroglyph, give a very advanced conception of the Egyptian as an artist. This

work dates from about 1700 B.C. There are similar prototypes of the Greek Doric, some dating about 800 years prior to this example, at the rock cut Tombs at Beni Hassan and another, (previously illusrated in Fig. 17) by the succeeding ruler.

After a further indulgence in lemonade and a donkey race to the river bank we were rowed back to Luxor, dried our wet clothes in the sun, rested and took the train in the evening to return to Cairo, much regretting that so many more of these glories of the past ages remained unvisited; for although we saw many of the principal monuments, there are numerous others and many could be studied for weeks with more appreciation.