EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE. • 25 Egyptian architecture, and was entirely excavated out of the solid rock. It has a fore-court, at the back of which is the imposing fagade, iig feet wide and over loo feet high, formed as a pylon, and having four seated colossi of Ramesis II., each over 65 feet in height. The entrance leads to a vestibule, the ceiling of which is supported by eight pillars, the walls having vividly colored reliefs. Eight smaller chambers, probably used to store the temple utensils and furniture, adjoin this vestibule, and in the rear is a small hypostyle hall, 36 feet by 25 feet, having four pillars. Behind this is a long narrow chamber out of which are three apartments, the centre and largest one being the sanctuary, with an altar and four seated figures of the deities vvorshipped. The Temple of Isis, Island of Philae, is an interesting example of the Ptolemaic period, and, like earlier examples, was the work of several generations. The fore-court, entered through a massive pylon, 150 feet broad and 60 feet high, has on the west side the Birth House, a small colonnaded temple dedicated to HathorTsis and to the memory of the birth of her son Horus, and on the east a colonnaded building used by the priests. On the fourth side of the court is the second pylon, which is 105 feet broad and 40 feet high. Beyond is the temple proper, consisting of courts, a hypostyle hall with eight columns, two small vesti- bules, a sanctuary, and other adjoining chambers, all nearly in total darkness This group, including the second pylon, has its axis at an angle to that of the first pylon and courtyard. The entire structure has the walls, both inside and out, covered with inscriptions. The Temple of Hathor, Dendera (a.d. first century), is another Ptolemaic example, but was not completed till the reign of Augustus. It has no pylons, fore-court, or enclosing outer walls, but has a great vestibule with twenty-four columns, six of which form the fa9ade, having low screen walls between them on either side of the central entrance. Behind this is the hypostyle hall, having six columns with elaborate Hathor-beaded capitals. On each side of this hall and beyond are chambers, used as lavatory, treasury, store-rooms ; and behind are two ante-chambers with a sanctuary beyond. Staircases on either side lead to the roof of the temple. During the Graeco- Roman period many temples were erected, of which the Temple of Edfou, commenced by Ptolemy III. (B.C. 237), is the best preserved example. A massive pylon, faced with reliefs and inscriptions, gave access to a great court, surrounded by a colonnade. The back of this court was formed by the front of the great hypostyle hall, the portal of which was the centre intercolumniation of a row of six columns, the narrower spaces between the side columns having low screen walls (No. 8). Twelve larger columns with elaborate capitals support
