The Nile boat or, glimpses of the land of Egypt / by . d Efrits of Arabianromance. The entrance, on the right hand, is by the doorcovered with minute and elaborate carving. The middle partof the room is lower than the rest, and is called a durkaah,which, with the fountain in the centre, is paved and inlayed withmarble of different colours. To the right of this, on the wall, isalso a sloping marble slab with stair-like edges, over which thewater pours and trickles, thence passing by pipes into thebasin of the fountain. This is a common Saracenic device, and Iremember to have seen it
The Nile boat or, glimpses of the land of Egypt / by . d Efrits of Arabianromance. The entrance, on the right hand, is by the doorcovered with minute and elaborate carving. The middle partof the room is lower than the rest, and is called a durkaah,which, with the fountain in the centre, is paved and inlayed withmarble of different colours. To the right of this, on the wall, isalso a sloping marble slab with stair-like edges, over which thewater pours and trickles, thence passing by pipes into thebasin of the fountain. This is a common Saracenic device, and Iremember to have seen it in Palermo, but is not in use inmodern Egyptian houses, at least it is not mentioned byLane. The raised part of the room is called a leewan,fpaved with common stone, and covered with mats in summer andcarpets in winter ; this is unusually extensive in the apartmentbefore us: it is surrounded by a divan, or low seat continuedround the walls, covered like a sofa, and with long cushionsresting against the wall for the entire length, sometimes with* Lane. t Lane. m. INTERIOR OF A HOUSE. 15 others in the angles : these are all covered with materials inrichly ornamental patterns more or less expensive. The roof-ing of the leewan, as will be observed, is supported by-carved beams, which with the intervening flat space are decor-ated and gilt in the richest manner. Of the windows, some areglazed, and are richly ornamented with stained glass, represent-ing flowers, fruits, and fanciful objects ; others, looking into theverdure of the garden, have simply open lattice or iron remarkable and picturesque peculiarity is the decoratedlantern above the fountain, made to open and shut at pleasureby means of a string, serving for the admission of air. Acommon device for this object is a sloping shed of boards abovean opening seen on the roofs of the houses, serving to direct thecurrent of wind into the apartments below. A similar planfor the same purpose was adopted by the ancient Egypti
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectegyptdescriptionandt
