village on the west bank of the river between Assouan and Derr. At
the foot of the hill, in the midst of the village, and reaching down
to the river, is the ruin of a very large temple. The front of the
portico consists of a large propylon of great beauty and simplicity,
with a gate in the centre, by which the portico is entered; there had
been a colonnade along the side wall of the latter, but one column
only now remains, three feet three inches in diameter; the fragments
of the others are lying in the area. On each side of the portico,
and communicating with it, is a narrow, dark passage, with a door
opening into the area which surrounds the temple, opposite a large
gateway formed in the wall of the outer or general inclosure. The
front of the pronaos is decorated with four beautiful columns,
and two pilasters; the columns are united by a wall rising to half
their height, similar to what is seen at Meharraka, Dakke, Dandour,
Kardassy, and Debot, a mode of construction belonging apparently
to the times in which the temples at Tintyra and Philæ were
built. The roof of the pronaos has fallen in, and now covers the
floor; of the columns which supported it, two only remain. There
are no sculptures of any kind, either on the propylon, or in the
pronaos, except on the back wall of the latter, or rather on the
front wall of the cella, where the two-headed Briareus, under the
hand of the victor, and protected by Osiris, is the most conspicuous.
[Illustration]
The cella is fifteen paces in length, by nine in breadth, and
projects several feet into the pronaos, thus forming, as it were, an
insulated chamber in the midst of the temple, a mode of construction
which I observed at Dakke, and afterwards at Philæ: two low columns
stand within the cella. In the adytum are the remains of columns,
lying on the ground, the only instance of the kind I have seen
in any Egyptian temple: in its walls are some low dark recesses,
and windows or loop-holes like those in the temple at Tintyra: its
roof is formed of single blocks of stone reaching the whole breadth,
and upwards of three feet in thickness. There is a chamber behind
the adytum, as at Dakke, and communicating with it by two doors;
the roof has fallen in, but it may be seen that this chamber was
lower than the adytum, and had a chamber over it. In the walls of
this chamber are several cells, or recesses, each of which forms
two small apartments, one behind the other, divided by a narrow
entrance, and just sufficiently large to hold one person; they
are closed in front by a stone, which may be removed at pleasure;
and were, perhaps, prisons for refractory priests, or places of
probation for those who aspired to the priesthood; the persons who
were placed in them may be literally said to have been shut up in
the wall, as there is not the slightest appearance of any recess
being there, when the stones which close the outer entrance are in
their places. I observed a hollow stone in the interior of one of
them, but I am not certain whether it was a sarcophagus or not.
The walls of the cella and adytum are covered with painted figures,
the colours of which still remain tolerably perfect, more so than
those at Philæ, owing to a coat of plaister having been laid upon
the walls by the Greeks, to receive the paintings of their saints;
but which has for the most part fallen off; the colours generally
used are red, blue, green, and black. The hawk-headed Osiris,
with a staff in one hand, is painted of a light green colour,
some females, holding the lotus in their hands, are quite black;
the variously coloured striped robes of the Osiris with a tiara
on his head have a most gaudy appearance; the hair, in general,
of all the figures is painted black, though in some it is blue; the
spaces between the different figures are covered with hieroglyphics,
painted red. On the lower part of the side walls of the adytum are
single human figures, each with an animal by its side, generally
an ox, a gazell, or a goose. The exterior walls of the temple are
covered with sculptures of colossal figures, like those at Tintyra
and Edfou; though not so large: they are rudely executed, and by no
means correspond with the beauty of the sculpture on the interior
of the chambers. Heads of sphinxes project from the walls, as at
Tintyra; through which perhaps the priests delivered their oracles.
The walls of the portico are prolonged the whole length of the
temple, and by means of a transverse wall in the rear of the
chamber behind the adytum, form a high inclosure all round; at
about twenty feet beyond which, is the general inclosure to the
whole building; this is carried to the foot of the hill, which has
been cut down perpendicularly, so as to serve as the end wall. In
the south-west corner of the area thus formed around the temple,
is a small quadrangle formed on one side by three columns, and on
the adjacent interior side by a short wall built across the area;
here a grotto, or sepulchre, has been hewn in the perpendicular
rock, similar to what I noticed behind the temple at Dandour;
it consists of a single chamber, with the winged globe over its
entrance, but without any other sculpture. A flight of steps leads
from the propylon down to a paved terrace which extends to the
foundations of an oblong building, standing just over the river,
where are some fragments of columns. Visitors by water, during the
inundations, might have stepped from their vessel into this building.
The temple of Kalabshe deserves to rank, with that of Dakke, amongst
the most precious remains of Egyptian antiquity. I have given merely
a rapid description of it, but, I hope, sufficient to shew, that
it deserves to be investigated closely in all its details. In its
site, it is to be compared with the temples of Tintyra and Edfou;
and it belongs to the best period of Egyptian architecture, though
it bears traces, in several of its parts, of a less careful and more
hurried execution, than that of the two temples just mentioned. The
walls are uncommonly well built: the existing columns have the
Philæ capitals, but are less nicely worked.
The Greeks had formed this temple into a church; and several of the
paintings of their saints are still remaining upon the walls. In
the portico I copied the following inscription:
[Illustration]
About a quarter of an hour distant from this temple, on its
north-west side, is a small temple cut out of the rock; the road to
it lies through the remains of the ancient town, a heap of stones
and rubbish, covering a space along the shore of about a mile and
a quarter. In front of the temple is an open area (also hewn out
of the rock), in which is the entrance to the cella; the cella is
thirteen paces in length, by six in breadth; its roof is supported
by two polygonal pillars; in the walls are two small recesses, with
three statues in each. Adjoining the cella is the adytum, a small
room, eight feet square. The sculptures and hieroglyphics on the
walls are of the same rude execution as those at Derr. The group
of Briareus is again repeated on both sides of the entrance.[55]
The walls of the open area in front of the temple are covered with
sculptures representing very interesting historical subjects: on
one side is a battle; the victor in a chariot, drawn by two fiery
steeds, like those at Karnac, is driving his vanquished enemies
before him, who are flying towards a country thickly covered with
fruit trees of various shapes and sizes, some of which have large
round leaves, and clusters of fruits hanging from them, with apes
sporting amongst the branches. Behind the victor’s car are two
smaller ones, of the same form, each drawn by two horses at full
speed; and bearing a female, standing upright, with a charioteer
in front holding the reins. In another compartment, on the same
wall, is a triumphal procession passing before Osiris, seated:
naked men come first, bearing upon their shoulders large blocks of
wood, probably ebony;[56] one of them leads a wild mountain goat, a
second carries an ostrich, a third holds in one hand a large shield,
and in the other a gazell, and a fourth is bringing an ape into the
royal presence; next comes a man bearing a block of precious wood,
like the former, and driving two large buffaloes before him; the
train is closed by a tall cameleopard, with its leader, followed
by two prisoners, who are naked, with the exception of the skin
of a wild beast tied round their waists. In another compartment,
just above the latter, is a large lion, with his keeper; an animal
of the size of a large goat, with long straight horns, and a pair of
buffaloes. In front of these two compartments, and before the king,
lie heaps of quivers and arrows, elephants teeth, skins and furs of
wild beasts, and a row of calabashes, supposed, perhaps, to contain
precious ointments or perfumes. On the wall opposite to this, is a
compartment, in which the king is represented seated, while bearded
prisoners, with their hands bound, are brought before him; amongst
them a train of female slaves is distinguished, dressed in long
robes, with a high head-dress of this shape, [Illustration] over
which the cloke is thrown. In another compartment, close to this,
a prisoner is immolated: and farther on, is a small battle-piece,
in which the assault and capture of a tower are represented;
a man, with an axe in his hand, is endeavouring to make a breach
in the walls, from which some of the garrison are precipitated,
while others are brought in prisoners. All these subjects are in
bas-relief, and extremely well executed; they are the best specimens
of historical sculpture that I have seen in the valley of the
Nile, even more spirited than those at Thebes; the figures of the
animals, in particular, are faithfully and correctly delineated. On
considering the subjects they represent, they will be found very
important, because they record a historical fact, no where else
alluded to in any Egyptian structure. The hero of Egypt has here
carried his arms into a country inhabited by lions, cameleopards,
apes, and elephants: none of which animals are found in Nubia or
Dóngola; the elephant and cameleopard inhabit the banks of the
Nile towards Sennaar, the forests on the frontiers of Abyssinia,
and the banks of the Astaboras and Astapus, from whence also the
most beautiful and highest esteemed female slaves are now imported
into Egypt: all the above-described trophies of victory, therefore,
indicate, that the battles must have been fought in the countries
to the south of the civilized country of the ancient Meroe; for the
skin-clad prisoners denote a savage people. The battle-pieces of
Thebes, at Luxor and Karnac, seem to allude to less distant scenes of
warfare. May not the castles, surrounded with water, which are there
represented, relate to the fortified islands in the Batn el Hadjar,
where we still meet with so many brick ruins? The head-dress of
the fugitives, which is close-cut hair, and not a cap, as has been
erroneously described, and the short, narrow beard, under the chin,
are perfectly characteristic of the southern Noubas, whose colour
is not quite black, but of that deep copper tinge, which a painter,
unskilled in mixing colours, would rather represent by dark red
than black. It may readily be imagined, that the inhabitants of
the sterile districts of Nubia, and the Batn el Hadjar, would look
with an envious eye upon the riches of Egypt, and would frequently
excite the resentment of the monarchs of Thebes, by making inroads
from their strong-holds, upon the adjacent provinces of Egypt.
The small temple I have just described, is called by the natives
Dar el Waly. Travellers proceeding by water are not likely to
see it, without enquiring for it. In the hill close by, are the
quarries whence the stones were hewn for the erection of the town
and temples of Kalabshe. This, no doubt, was the ancient _Talmis_,
and some mounds of rubbish on the east side, indicate the remains of
_Contra-Talmis_. Talmis must have acquired its opulence by commerce,
and not by agriculture, as the shore, in its neighbourhood, is no
where more than forty yards in breadth. In ancient times, as at the
present day, the traffic in dates probably supplied the Nubians with
their chief means of subsistence, and gave life to the whole valley
of the Nile from Wady Halfa to Philæ. Considerable profits might
also be derived from the passage of vessels laden with goods from
Meroe; whose traders perhaps, landed their merchandize at Sukkot,
and transported it from thence upon camels, across the Batn el
Hadjar. It is probable, however, that the principal part of the
trade of that ancient city with Egypt was carried on over-land, by
the present route of the Sennaar caravans; for had it been by water,
I think that some remains of commercial towns would be met with at
both extremities of the Batn el Hadjar, where the vessels must have
been unloaded and reloaded, as navigation is impracticable throughout
that rocky district. When we consider the cataracts which occur in
the country of the Sheygya, south of Dóngola, at Koke, in Mahass,
at Wady Dal, and in the Batn el Hadjar, and that the distance from
Goos to Derr, through Dóngola, following the course of the river,
is twenty-five days journeys, while it is only eight by the route
of the slave caravans, across the mountains, it seems probable that
the ancient caravans of the southern countries descended into the
valley of the Nile opposite Ebsambal, where the navigation down
the river may have recommenced.[57]
We halted for the night, a little way beyond Dar el Waly, at Khortum
(خُرطم), a village opposite the island of Darmout, and belonging
to Kalabshe, having rode about six hours and a half in the course
of the day. There was a shower of rain in the night, by which
both myself and my guide caught a severe cold. The heat, which,
in my journey up the river, was very moderate during the day, began
now to be great, and the sudden change occasioned by the rain from
almost tropical heat to winter cold, affected the health of us both.
_March 29th._ We ascended the mountain which interrupts the road
along the shore. On its summit I saw fragments of very small Egyptian
columns and capitals, lying near some Arab structures. I observed
no ancient edifice near them. The rock on the southern side of
the mountain is granite and feldspath; on the northern side, it
is sand-stone. At the end of two hours we again reached the banks
of the river, at the village of Tafa, close to the spot where the
rock projects perpendicularly into the water. Here are the ruins of
two small temples: one of them consists of an apartment ten paces
square, the roof and one side of which are in ruins; two columns
are yet standing in it, two feet in diameter, with the palm-leaf
capitals. Adjoining this apartment was [Illustration] the adytum,
the foundations of which only remain. The winged globe is over the
entrance into the adytum; but I saw no other sculptures, nor any
hieroglyphics. The Greeks, as usual, have painted their saints
upon the walls; and a Greek almanac, and several badly written
inscriptions, are also visible upon them. The other temple is a
[Illustration] small square apartment, quite entire, with six pillars
in it, similar, in size and shape, to those just mentioned. The
winged globe over the gates is the only sculpture of any kind
about it. Around these two buildings are numerous remains of the
private dwellings of the ancient inhabitants, consisting of thick
and strongly built walls of stone; this material, from its greater
proximity, having been frequently used in Nubia instead of bricks.
The peasants of Tafa (no doubt the ancient _Taphis_) relate that they
are the descendants of the few Christian inhabitants of the city, who
embraced the Mahommedan faith, when the country was conquered by the
followers of the Prophet; the greater part of their brethren having
either fled, or been put to death on that event taking place. They
are still called Oulad el Nusara (اولاد النصَارَي);
or the Christian progeny. On the east bank are some ancient remains,
on the site of _Contra Taphis_.
From Tafa northwards, as far as Dehmyt, the shore bears the name
of Wady el Mebarakat (وادي المباركات).The Arabs
Mebarakat are a tribe of Kenous. The uncultivated fields here
are overgrown with Senna-mekke. At three hours we passed Hindau;
four hours, Kardassy, where, close to the water, is a large stone
inclosure, about one hundred and thirty paces in length, by one
hundred in breadth; in its area are heaps of ruined dwellings built
of stone. The entrance into this inclosure is by a large gateway,
similar in shape to that in the front of the temple near Merowau.[58]
The walls are about ten feet in thickness, and are faced on either
side with hewn stones, having the centre filled up by small ones
thrown in confusedly, without cement; these walls were certainly
intended for defence; it was, perhaps, a station of the Romans,
against the Blemmyes. I searched in vain for remains of hieroglyphics
or sculptures. About a mile farther down the river, upon the top of a
hill, are the ruins of a temple, resembling in its construction that
of the hawk-headed Osiris at Philæ. There remains no part but the
portico; [Illustration] it consisted originally of eight columns,
of which six are still standing; these are partly united with each
other by a wall, rising to half their height, and inclosing the whole
of them. Of the stones which formed the roof, one block only remains;
it is at least sixteen feet in length, and reaches the whole breadth
of the temple. Over four of the columns the architraves still remain;
the capitals of the two others are formed by four faces of Isis,
with the same head-dress as at Tintyra, but with countenances more
juvenile and less grave; the ears are very peculiar, [Illustration]
and of the annexed form. There is a sculptured figure on one of
the columns only; the others bear traces of having been covered
with hieroglyphics.
To the S. W. of the hill on which the above temple stands, and
close to the river, are some very extensive quarries of sandstone,
from whence the materials were probably taken for the erection of
the sandstone temples at Philæ and Parembole, where the rocks are
entirely of granite. In walking through the quarries, I came to a
spot where a niche is cut in the levelled side of the rock; within
it is a stone bench, which may have been the pedestal of a statue;
small winged globes are sculptured above it. This niche seems to
have been used by the ancient Egyptians, and subsequently both by
the Pagan and Christian Greeks, as a shrine, at which they offered
up their prayers to the deity for the preservation of their own
health and that of their friends. Several heads of Greek saints
are sculptured in the rock on both sides of the niche; and I
also observed whole length figures, and small heads of sphinxes
only three or four inches in length, representations, perhaps, of
similar images of gold or silver offered to the Pagan deities. The
adjoining rock is covered with a great number of Egyptian and Greek
inscriptions. Of the latter, which are much more numerous than the
Egyptian, I selected the following, as being the most interesting,
from their purport.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
There is also a Latin inscription, of which I could only make out
the two words, FABIO . CVM. There are small niches in several other
parts of the rocks of this quarry, with the winged globe over them;
but I saw no inscriptions upon any, except that abovementioned.
In four hours and a half, we passed Wady Hadyd; opposite to which,
on the east side, is Wady Sahdab (وادي سهداب). On a rocky
hill stands an insulated column, the only remains of a small temple,
whose ruins are spread about; several small sepulchres are excavated
in the declivity of the hill, and heaps of rubbish indicate an
ancient city. Five hours, Djara (جعره). The shore from Tafa
to this place is well cultivated. Five hours and a half, Dehmyt,
where the Wady Mebarakat terminates. The eastern Dehmyt is better
cultivated than the western. Here are the foundations of a small
square edifice built of massy stones; with a thick mud wall running
parallel to the hills, and the course of the stream, for about fifty
yards; it was intended, perhaps, as a barrier against the sands of
the desert. In six hours and a half we came to Merys (مريس);
opposite to it, on the east side, is the village Syale. There is
an island in the river, with several brick ruins on it. The rock
is granite, and continues so all the way to Assouan. The road from
Syale lies over a sandy plain, with insulated hills of granite,
which separate it from the river. On the east side, to the north of
Syale, is the village of Abdoun. At seven hours and a half is Debot
(دبوت), consisting of several villages lying on both sides of the
river. At seven hours and three quarters is a hill, overhanging the
shore, and forming part of Wady Debot, on which are the ruins of an
Arab town; the houses are of brick, and seem to have been extensive,
and well built. In the river are several large granite piers. At the
end of eight hours, we halted for the night at a small hamlet. The
Mamelouks remained in this neighbourhood several months, till the
advance of Ibrahim Beg compelled them to retire: during that period,
fodder became so scarce, that they were obliged to feed their camels
upon the palm-leaves: they stripped all the date trees of their
leaves in this vicinity, and as far south also as Wady Halfa, so that
the Nubians were a whole year without any produce from the trees.
_March 30th._ After a ride of half an hour, over a well cultivated
plain, we came to the temple of Debot, which stands upon the site
of the ancient _Parembole_.
The temple is approached through three high, insulated gateways,
with projecting cornices, like that near Merowau. The distance
between the first and second gateway is twenty paces; ten paces
between the second and third; and fifteen paces between the third
and the pronaos of the temple. In front of the pronaos are four
columns, with a wall half their height. Along the centre of three
of the interior walls of the pronaos is a compartment of sculpture,
the other parts of the walls being quite bare; a peculiarity I
saw no where else. Adjoining the pronaos to the left is a square
chamber, the walls of which project beyond the side of the temple,
and destroy its symmetry. There are no sculptures of any kind on
the walls of this apartment.
[Illustration]
The cella is an oblong square; its walls are covered with
hieroglyphics and sculptures: on one side of it is a dark apartment,
opening into the pronaos, and on the other side is a staircase
leading up to the top of the temple: below the staircase are several
small rooms. The adytum, which is entered through a narrow chamber,
three paces in breadth, is ten feet in length by nine in breadth;
in its posterior wall are two fine monolith temples of granite,
the largest of which is eight feet in height by three in breadth;
the winged globe is sculptured over each of them. They appear to have
been receptacles for some small sacred animals, perhaps beetles. The
places are yet visible where turned the hinges of the door, which
shut up whatever was contained within. These monolith temples are
similar to those at Philæ; but differ in their construction from
that at Gaou (_Antæopolis_), which is much larger:[59] nor are there
any hieroglyphics in the interior, whereas that at Gaou is covered
on the inside with inscriptions and sculptures, some of the latter
representing scarabæi. On each side of the adytum at Debot is a
small room, communicating with the narrow chamber behind the cella;
the walls of both are without sculptures, but contain some secret
recesses, similar to those at Kalabshe, and which were destined,
probably, for the same purposes. One of these rooms had an upper
story, like the one at Kalabshe, but it is now ruined; the other
apartments of the temple are in good preservation. The sculptures on
the inside walls are much defaced; but some faint remains of their
colouring are yet visible. There are no sculptures whatever on the
exterior walls. A wall, now in ruins, had encompassed the whole of
this temple, including the three gateways in front of it. I observed
in the broken-up floor of the pronaos deep stone foundations, upon
which the temple is built. I should not be surprised if subterraneous
rooms were discovered here, as well as in other Egyptian temples:
they would be quite in the spirit of the Egyptian hierarchy.