. The story of architecture: an outline of the styles in all countries. , a bunch of waterreeds surmounted by an abacus(Fig. 8), caryatid heads of Isisand Osiris, and other shapesmore or less fantastic. Such were the principal com-ponent parts of hypaethral tem-ples. The grotto or rock-cut tem-ples of Nubia were much thesame in arrangement, though asa rule simpler, having only aportico, temple proper, and sanc-tuary en suite. But there are some, like the Templeof Wady Sabooah, equipped with all the gorgeousapproaches which often distinguished their more im-posing neighbours. The most stupendou
. The story of architecture: an outline of the styles in all countries. , a bunch of waterreeds surmounted by an abacus(Fig. 8), caryatid heads of Isisand Osiris, and other shapesmore or less fantastic. Such were the principal com-ponent parts of hypaethral tem-ples. The grotto or rock-cut tem-ples of Nubia were much thesame in arrangement, though asa rule simpler, having only aportico, temple proper, and sanc-tuary en suite. But there are some, like the Templeof Wady Sabooah, equipped with all the gorgeousapproaches which often distinguished their more im-posing neighbours. The most stupendous example of hypaethral archi-tecture in Africa was the great temple of Karnak. This temple was to the Egyptian architecturewhat St. Peters was to the Renaissance, namely,a comprehensive expression of all that was best inthe art of its own period. But the former was evenmore comprehensive than the latter, for while required nineteen pontiffs and one hundredand twenty-six years to bring it to completion, Kar-nak employed the best energies of twenty-one kings. Fig. 8.—Egyptian capital. 16 EGYPT AND NUBIA. at various intervals through a cycle of over twcthousand years, during which time Egyptian, andespecially Theban art, reached its highest point oldevelopment. To Osirtasu 1 we owe the foundation of this col-lection of buildings, though little now remains of hhportion of the work. From the inscriptions of the walls it is evidentthat the ancient name was Apetu ; but the Temple olKarnak is the universal appellation at present. Twelve entrances originally gave access to themain inclosure. One of the most important was thatfacing toward the south, for a double row of sphinxesa mile and a half in length joined it to the Temple ofLuxor, forming an imposing roadway for the festalparades of priests, which played a prominent part inEgyptian ceremonial. This entrance, however, is by no means the mostimposing, the grandest approach of all being thatfacing northwest, and at right
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidstoryofarchi, bookyear1896
