Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/156

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134
A History of Art in Ancient Egypt.

The fullest development of Egyptian columnar architecture is to be found in their interiors.

The simplest arrangement is to be found in the small chambers where the roof is sustained by a single row of columns (Fig. 98).

When the apartment was slighty larger it contained two rows, the

Fig. 99. — Small chamber at Karnak. Fig. 100. — Apartment in the temple at Luxor. Fig. ioi. — Hall of the temple at Aliydos ; Description, vol. ii. p. 41.

space between the rows being wider than that between the columns and the wall (Fig. lOo). Sometimes in still larger halls we find three rows of columns separated from one another by equal spaces in every direction (Fig. loi). Finally in those great chambers which are known as hypostyle halls, the number of columns seems to be practically unlimited. At Karnak there are

Fig. 102.—Plan of part of the Hypostyle Mall at Karnak.

a hundred and thirty-four (Fig. 102), at the Ramesseum forty- eight, at Medinet-Abou twenty-four.

The full effect of the hypostyle hall is to be seen at Karnak and at the Ramesseum. In those halls the central aisle is higher than the parts adjoining and is distinguished by a different type