isa-normaladvance-1909-00008

Description:	8THE NORMAL ADVANCEThe Temple at KarnakWALTER W. HARVEYLongfellow said:That in even savage bosomsThere are longings, yearnings, strivings,For the good they comprehend not.This must have been especially true of theearly Egyptians, who erected the enormous,mysterious Temple of Chensee at Karnak. Thegreat structure was begun by Sesurtesen I morethan twenty-two centuries before Christ andwas increased in size by those who followed himuntil the dimensions were 370 by 1,100 feet.One approached the building from the westthrough an avenue, two hundred feet long,formed by two rows of colossal ram-sphinxes.The entrance through the fustrum-shaped wallwas a stately arch pylon, which disclosed anopen fore court 329 feet broad and 275 feetdeep. Around the inner walls was a coveredcorridor, supported by a continuous row ofcolumns, and two rows of similar columns randown the center. During the reign of RhamsesII the rectangular court was broken by a northwing 200 by 80 feet. This addition was henceforth used as the kings private sanctuary.Passing between another pair of massivepylons, our imaginary visitor entered the middle portion of the temple, known as Hypostylehall. It was built by Sethos I and later rulersin the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries beforeChrist, and was the principal part of thetemple. Down the center from west to east, thevisitor passed between two rows of giganticcolumns, twelve feet in diameter, sixty-six feethigh and six to the row. It was hard forhim to realize that the base of one of thesewould have covered the floor of an ordinaryroom. To his right and left he could count onehundred twenty-two smaller columns, forty feethigh, arranged in seven rows on either side ofthe two mammoth center rows.Looking about he was bewildered. Fromsome place overhead came a weird light thatfell upon the deep rich dyes and many coloredpictures that adorned the pillars. The poroussandstone absorbed the colors in such a wayas to cause a beautiful fade-dye effect. Thesepictures told the stories of their social and religious life. It was only by looking down thecenter of the naves that an impression of separate columns could be had. Otherwise thevistas appeared to be flanked by continuouswalls with countless projections. This delusionwas caused by the spaces between the pillarsbeing comparatively small. In this connectionit may be well to remember that the Egyptians,unlike the Greeks, used the column merely forits value in helping support the building andfor what it contributed to the general impression, rather than for its use or beauty as a distinct unit. As far back as this we find thepeople appreciating the beauty in nature andembodying it in their art. The capitals of thesmaller columns represented the closed calyxof the lotus flower. On the twelve central columns the capitals were bell shaped, carved inshape of the open calyx.Above the pillars ran a course of lintel stones,and above these were the great flat slabs of theroof. A clearstory with perpendicular stone-grate windows filled up the space caused bythe difference in height of the central and sidegroups of columns. These windows alonelighted the great edifice and what a peculiarand awe-inspiring light it must have been,creeping along the long colonnades, reflectingacross aisles and sifting itself in and out overmysterious, many-hued hieroglyphics!Thus was built the first and largest cathedralin the world. Hypostyle hall, with its greatcentral and two side naves has given to theworld in all successive ages the general planfor erecting all great houses of worship. The
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34038
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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