The

corner are figures of 17 of the sons of Rameses II, who are making offerings at the ceremony of the dedication of the pylon. These are followed by a number of sacrificial scenes. columns of the portico are 72 in number, and have lotus capitals; on each is a relief representing Rameses II making an offering either to Amen-Ra, or Menu, and some goddess. The little chapel in the north-west corner contains three chambers, which are dedicated respectively to Amen-Rā, Mut, and Khensu. On each side of the doorway which leads into the colonnade Rameses II placed a huge black granite statue of himself, and between the columns close by were 11 statues of himself in red granite; on the side of each of these last is a figure of one of his wives.

The Colonnade (B) beyond the courtyard of Rameses II is a part of the original building of Amenophis III, though the names of many other kings are found in it; but it is doubtful if any of the reliefs on the walls were made by him; the scenes represent the celebration of the festival of Amen-Ra, the procession of sacred boats to the Nile and back, the ceremonies in the shrine, etc., and many of them date from the time of Heru-em-heb. The lotus columns, 14 in number, are massive but beautifully proportioned; they are about 51 feet high, and about 11 feet in diameter. The Court of Amenophis III (c) is next reached. Round three sides of this runs a colonnade with two rows of columns, and the walls are decorated with reliefs belonging to various periods, from that of Amenophis III to that of Alexander and Philip. Beyond this courtyard is a hall containing 32 columns; the walls are ornamented with reliefs of various periods, and the occurrence of the names of several kings in this portion of the building shows that, in parts, it has been often repaired. To the left, between the last two columns, is an altar of the Roman period, with a Latin inscription dedicating it to the Emperor Augustus. Passing through the doorway, a chamber which originally had eight columns is entered; this was altered in several ways, and turned into a church by the Christians, who plastered over the interesting reliefs of the time of Amenophis III with lime, and then painted it with elaborate designs in bright colours. On each side of this chamber is a small chapel; that on the left was dedicated to Mut, and that on the right to Khensu. Leaving the chamber which was turned into a Christian church, and passing through a smaller chamber with four columns, the shrine of Alexander the Great is reached. In the time of Amenophis III it contained four

columns, but these Alexander removed, and turned it into a shrine in place of the old shrine which was originally in the last room of the building. In the centre a rectangular building open at both ends was built, and within this was carefully preserved the sacred boat of Rā, wherein was seated a figure of the god. The walls of this shrine are ornamented with reliefs, in which Amenophis III is seen adoring the various gods of Thebes; the ceiling is decorated with figures of vultures and a large number of five-rayed stars painted in yellow on a blue ground. Through a doorway on the left in the sanctuary, and through a second doorway immediately on the left of it, the chamber on which is depicted the Birth of Amenophis III is reached; the roof of the chamber is supported by three columns with lotus capitals. Here on the west wall are the following scenes, arranged in three rows:

First or Lowest Row.-(1) Khnemu, seated opposite Isis, fashioning the body of the young king and his ka or double upon a potter's wheel; he predicts that the child shall be king of Egypt. (2) Åmen and Khnemu holding converse. (3) Åmen and Mut-em-ua, wife of Thothmes IV, and mother of Amenophis III, holding converse in the presence of the goddesses Selq, or Serq, and Neith. In the text the god Åmen declares that he had taken the form of the husband of Mut-em-ua, and that he is the father of the child who is to be born. (4) Åmen and Thothmes IV. (5) Mut-em-ua being embraced by the goddess Isis in the presence of Amen. Second or Middle Row.-(1) Thoth telling the queen that Åmen has given her a son. (2) The queen being great with child, is being sustained by Khnemu and Isis, who make her to breathe "life." (3) The child is born in the presence of Thoueris, the goddess of children, and Bes, the driver away of evil spirits from the bed of birth. (4) Isis offering the child to Amen, who addresses him as 66 'son of the Sun." (5) The child Amenophis III seated on the knees of Åmen, whilst his destiny is being decreed in the presence of Isis or Hathor; Mut offers to him a palm branch, at the end of which is the emblem of festivals. Amen declares that he will give him "millions of years, like the Sun." Third or Top Row.—(1) The queen seated on the bed of birth, and the child being suckled by Hathor in the form of a cow. (2) The seven Hathors (?) and two goddesses. (3) The Niles of the South and North purifying the child. (4) Horus presenting the king and his ka to Åmen. (5) The gods Khnemu and Anubis. (6) The king and his ka seated and

A

standing before Åmen. (7) The king seated on his throne. The scenes on the south wall refer to the acknowledgment of his sovereignty by the gods of Egypt. The remaining chambers of the temple are not of any special interest. It will be noted that the idea of the scenes of the Birth Chamber is copied from the temple of Hatshepsut at Dêr al-Baḥarî. chamber adjoining the Birth Chamber was built by Alexander the Great to hold the sacred bark of the god Amen. Here on the walls are figures of Alexander standing before Amen and the gods and goddesses of Karnak. It is easy to understand the motive that prompted him to pay honour to Amen, for it will be remembered that he visited the temple of Åmen, in the Oasis of Sîwah, with the express purpose of making Amen admit that he was his son, and that the divine blood of the gods and kings of Egypt flowed in his veins. The Egyptians received the god's words with great satisfaction, and in consequence Alexander's conquest of the country was peaceful.

2. The Temple at Karnak.—The ruins of the buildings at Karnak are perhaps the most wonderful of any in Egypt, and they merit many visits from the traveller. It is probable that this spot was "holy ground" from a very early to a very late period, and we know that a number of kings from Usertsen to Ptolemy IX lavished much wealth to make splendid the famous shrine of Amen in the Apts, and other temples situated there. Of the temples that occupied the site in predynastic times and under the first six dynasties we know nothing. The temples of Luxor and Karnak were united by an avenue about 6,500 feet long and So feet wide, on each side of which was arranged a row of sphinxes ; from the fact that these monuments are without names, M. Mariette thought that the avenue was constructed at the expense of the priests or the wealthy inhabitants of the town, just as in later days the pronaos of the temple at Denderah was built by the people of that town. At the end of this avenue, to the right, is a road which leads to the so-called Temple of Mut, which was also approached by an avenue of sphinxes. Within the enclosure there stood originally two temples, both of which were dedicated to Åmen, built during the reign of Amenophis III; Rameses II erected two obelisks in front of the larger temple. To the north-west of these a smaller temple was built in Ptolemaic times, and the ruins on one side

of it show that the small temples which stood there were either founded or restored by Rameses II, Osorkon, Tekeleth, Sabaco, Nectanebus I, and the Ptolemies. Behind the temple enclosure are the remains of a temple dedicated to Ptaḥ of Memphis by Thothmes III; the three doors behind it and the courts into which they lead were added by Sabaco, Tirhakah, and the Ptolemies.

Returning to the end of the avenue of sphinxes which leads from Luxor to Karnak, a second smaller avenue ornamented with a row of ram-headed sphinxes on each side is entered; at the end of it stands the splendid pylon built by Ptolemy IX, Euergetes II. Passing through the door, a smaller avenue of sphinxes leading to the temple built by Rameses III is reached; the small avenue of sphinxes and eight of its columns were added by Rameses XII. This temple was dedicated to Khensu, and appears to have been built upon the site of an ancient temple of the time of Amenophis III. To the west of this temple is a smaller temple built by Ptolemy IX, Euergetes II.

The great Temple of Amen at Karnak fronted the Nile, and was approached by means of a small avenue of ramheaded sphinxes which were placed in position by Rameses II. Passing through the first pylon, a court or hall, having a double row of pillars down the centre, is entered; on each side is a corridor with a row of columns. On the right-hand (south) side are the ruins of a temple built by Rameses III, and on the left are those of another built by Seti II. court or hall was the work of Shashanq, the first king of the XXIInd dynasty. On each side of the steps leading through the second pylon was a colossal statue of Rameses II; that on the right-hand side has now disappeared.

This

Passing through this pylon, the famous "Hall of Columns" is entered. The 12 columns forming the double row in the middle are about 60 feet high and about 35 feet in circumference; the other columns, 122 in number, are about 40 feet high and 27 feet in circumference. Rameses I set up one

column, Seti I, the builder of this hall, set up 79, and the remaining 54 were set up by Rameses II. It is thought that this hall was originally roofed over. At the end of it is the third pylon, which was built by Amenophis III, and served as the entrance to the temple until the time of Rameses I. Between this and the next pylon is a narrow passage, in the middle of which stood two obelisks which were set up

by Thothmes I, the southern one is still standing, and bears the names of this king, but the northern one has fallen,* and its fragments show that Thothmes III caused his name to be carved on it. At the southern end of this passage are the remains of a gate built by Rameses IX. pylons were built by Thothmes I.

The fourth and fifth Between them stood

3. Karnak during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, 1500 B.C.

From Mariette, Karnak, Pl. VI.

14 columns, six of which were set up by Thothmes I, and eight by Amenophis II, and two granite obelisks; one of the obelisks still stands. They were hewn out of the granite quarry by the command of Hatshepsut, the daughter of Thothmes I, and sister of Thothmes II and aunt of Thothmes III.

* It was standing when Pococke visited Egypt in 1737-1739.