HISTORY OF ART.
CXXX1X
the case of later temples, with reliefs showing the king in com¬
munion with the gods; the ceilings of their halls were supported
by columns (which at Buhastis had Hathor-capitals); and in front
of their entrances rose tall obelisks (p. 107) and colossal statues of
the Pharaohs. In other points of construction also they seem to
have closely resembled later sanctuaries, and many temples of the
New Empire were probably built on the plans of the earlier ones.
However different from each other the Temples of the New
Empibe appear at first sight, there is but little difficulty in refer¬
ring them all to two general fundamental forms. One of these,
vividly, hut probably quite accidentally, recalling the Greek Perip-
teros or temple surrounded by a colonnade, occurs only during the
18th Dyn., the age of Thutmosis III. and his successors. The
rectangular Cella (or Sanctuary), containing the sacred boat with
the image ofthe god and provided with doors at each end, rose upon
a basement of masonry, crowned with a concave cornice and ap¬
proached by a flight of steps. On all four sides it was surrounded
by a colonnade, the roof of which rested upon square pillars and
columns (usually Proto-Doric). Occasionally, as (e.g.) at Medinet
Habu, this main structure was adjoined at the back by several smaller
apartments, also used for religious rites. Curiously enough this form
of peripteros was revived in the Ptolemaic period, though with various
modifications, being used in the so-called Birth Houses, which stood
beside the principal temples and were dedicated to the worship of
the maternal deity (Isis or Hathor) and her child. The inner sanc¬
tuaries in these birth-houses also were surrounded with colonnades,
the roofs of which, however, were borne by remarkable plant-columns,
crowned with heads of Hathor or with figures of Bes.
The second fundamental form of the Egyptian temple is most
simply and clearly illustrated in the small temple built by Ram¬
ses III. at Karnak in honour of the Theban triad (see special plan
of the great temple of Ammon at Karnak, p. 245). The approach
to the temple is formed by the Pylon, two large towers of masonry
flanking the entrance-door. These towers are shaped like very
steep truncated pyramids; the slightly inclining walls are framed
with round mouldings and offer the greatest available space for
reliefs. The towers were imposing from their sheer size, and this
impression was heightened (from the Middle Empire onwards) by the
obelisks and colossal statues placed in front of them, and by the lofty
flag-staffs which were fastened at the foot in the masonry of the
towers and higher up by huge clamps. Beyond the pylon we enter a
broad open Court, surrounded on three sides by covered colonnades. In
the centre stood the great altar, round which the people assembled on
festivals. Beyond this again was a Hall, the roof of which rested upon
columns. In most of the larger temples (e.g the Ramesseum and the
temple of Khons at Karnak) this hall consisted of nave and aisles,
the latter being considerably lower than the former. In these cases
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