Egypt : handbook for travellers : part first, lower Egypt, with the Fayum and the peninsula of Sinai . on certain days they offered The Patu, or lowest grade of the instructed, the Rekhiu, who were initiated Into the sacred mysteries, and the Animiu, or enlightened, advanced into the great hall, and from HISTORY OF ART. 169 the portal of the Prosekos, or hall of the manifestation of majesty,they were permitted to behold from afar the sacred emblem ofdivinity. These worshippers were now passed by the king and theofficiating priests, who ascended in solemn procession to the roof,while the high p
Egypt : handbook for travellers : part first, lower Egypt, with the Fayum and the peninsula of Sinai . on certain days they offered The Patu, or lowest grade of the instructed, the Rekhiu, who were initiated Into the sacred mysteries, and the Animiu, or enlightened, advanced into the great hall, and from HISTORY OF ART. 169 the portal of the Prosekos, or hall of the manifestation of majesty,they were permitted to behold from afar the sacred emblem ofdivinity. These worshippers were now passed by the king and theofficiating priests, who ascended in solemn procession to the roof,while the high priest entered the small and sombre chamber of thegod. The annexed ground-plan of the S. temple at Karnak willrender the foregoing description more intelligible (Fig. X), andanalogous arrangements might easily be pointed out in the temples*of other nations, such as those of Semitic race. The erection ofobelisks or colossi (or both) in front of the pylons is also suscep-tible of easy explanation. The obelisks, the form of which was welladapted to break the monotonous outline of the walls, record in. X. Ground Plan of the S. Temple at Karnak. hieroglyphic inscriptions the victorious power bestowed on thePharaohs by the god, while the royal statues remind beholders ofthe duty of monarchs to show their gratitude by erecting temples tothe gods. The winged disk of the sun with the heads of the Uraeuaserpent over every entrance has also a noteworthy signification. Itsymbolises the victory of Horus over Typhon, and the triumph ofgood over evil; and an inscription at Edfu informs us that, afterthe victory of Horus, Thoth (reason) commanded this symbol to beplaced over all entrances. On the other hand the way in whicharchitecture is constantly made subservient to painting, for thepurpose of obtaining surfaces for symbols and inscriptions, isunpleasing. Every column, every pillar, every roof-beam, and everywall is embellished with raised or engraved figures and characters,all of which are
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidegypthand00k, bookyear1885
