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Title: The Mentor: Egypt, The Land of Mystery, Serial No. 42
Author: Dwight L. Elmendorf
Release Date: November 4, 2015 [EBook #50384]
Language: English
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[Illustration]
EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY
By DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF
THE MENTOR · SERIAL NUMBER 42
DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL
<>
MENTOR GRAVURES
CAIRO THE SPHINX KARNAK
THE PYRAMIDS LUXOR THE DAM AT ASSOUAN
It is no wonder that the Egyptians through all their history have
worshiped the Nile; for that marvelous river is the spine, the marrow,
and the life of Egypt. Indeed, it is Egypt; for living Egypt is only a
narrow strip twelve or fifteen miles wide,--simply the banks of the Nile.
Herodotus called Egypt "the gift of the Nile." The river nourishes and
controls the land. All along that waterway are to be found wonders and
mysteries of the past. The mind balks in contemplation of the monuments
of Egypt. They whisper messages from so far distant a time that we
stagger in trying to grasp their meaning.
A visit through Egypt usually begins with Cairo. And it is just as well
that it is so; for in Cairo there is much that is modern and much that is
familiar to the English traveler. It is, therefore, a good way for the
visitor to break into ancient Egypt. In Cairo modern people mingle with
the sons of ancient Egyptians. The English soldier is to be seen almost
everywhere, and in front of Shepheard's Hotel you may at times almost
forget that you are in Egypt.
That is because you are bound down in Cairo, mingling with your own
fellow visitors and too close to hotel life. Get up early in the morning,
and go to the top of the hill known as the Citadel, and there you will
get an impression of an Egyptian city. Look at one of the greatest
buildings, the Mosque of Mehemet Ali. It is called the Alabaster Mosque.
There is a great deal in modern Egypt that is imitation. That is the
reason that this building of pure alabaster is to be valued. Its interior
is rich and beautiful in design.
[Illustration: TOMBS OF MAMELUKES, CAIRO]
[Illustration: MUSKI CORNER AND MINARET, CAIRO]
CAIRO AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
Stand on the parapet of the Citadel, and look over Cairo, and see
the sun rise. Far in the distance is a sandstorm. Many people in the
United States think that the weather in Egypt is as clear as crystal
always. That is a great mistake. The days there are rarely as clear as
American clear days. In January, February, and March you are likely to
have sandstorms, or the sirocco, or wind from the desert, which almost
obliterate the sun.
Down by the edge of the desert is the Dead City. The tombs there and
their interiors are wonderful. The beautiful buildings have been allowed
to decay. It is an oriental peculiarity not to repair anything.
On the other side of the Citadel are the tombs of the Mamelukes. I advise
anyone going to Cairo to visit these tombs; for they contain very curious
sarcophagi, and the tomb mosques are interesting, each of them being
surmounted by a picturesque dome.
Our modern expositions and fair grounds would not be complete without
"the streets of Cairo." As we know, a bit of street life is shown, more
or less accurately--chiefly less. A fairly correct impression of Egyptian
street life is, however, created by such artificial reproductions. One
of our pictures will no doubt recall these exposition impressions. The
genuine old streets of Cairo are fascinating. Some are so narrow that the
traveler must go on foot, or on a donkey. The shops are almost within
arm's reach on both sides, and many of them are temptingly attractive.
There on one side they make famous leather goods; on another they sell
glassware. Be careful not to buy unless you know how to bargain.
THE STREETS OF CAIRO
You must go to these little streets to find the bazaars if you want to
buy anything; for the great street of the Arab quarter, the famous Muski,
is not any longer a thorough Cairo street. Big shops and department
stores have crept into it.
[Illustration: BAZAAR STREET, CAIRO
Where the most interesting shops are found.]
Stand for a moment on the corner of this great street and see a little
bit of the Arab life of old Cairo. It is a busy city. There goes a
carryall (a camel), an entire family on its back, except the husband, who
walks by the side. This man coming down with a strange sack on his back
is a walking fountain. The sack is filled with something sweet and sticky
which he calls "sweet water." It is not pleasant. The genuine water
carrier of the old school goes to the river, fills his jar, and then
goes through the streets shaking his cup in his hand with a chink. It is
plain water that he peddles. I should not advise one to drink either of
these beverages. Then there are the bread venders of Cairo, who walk the
streets carrying bread on their heads and crying out their wares.
[Illustration: THE CITADEL, CAIRO
Built, 1176-1207, of stones taken from the Pyramids.]
Cairo is full of interesting mosques. The oldest and most celebrated
is the Mosque of Omri. It is one of the earliest of Mohammedan temples
in Egypt. They have a service there but once a year, when the khedive
himself comes. The interior seems a veritable forest of pillars. One of
these is a most remarkable pillar. I will tell the story of it as my
boy Mohammed Mousa told it to me: "This pillar very important one--very
holy. This pillar sent by Mahomet here; for when Omri come to build this
mosque Mahomet so pleased he sent pillar from Mecca. The pillar come
here. He find no other pillar from Mecca here; so he get lonely and fly
back. Mahomet very angry, and send pillar back. Second time he fly back.
Mahomet then get very angry, draw his sword, and strike pillar, and
tell Omri to put pillar in prison. So he put it in prison, and it stand
there." That is the story that they all believe.
[Illustration: THE OLDEST PYRAMID, SAKKARA]
THE PYRAMIDS
[Illustration: DISTANT VIEW OF PYRAMIDS, WITH THE NILE]
The road leading down to the old Nile gate is a very beautiful one.
Crossing the bridge there, we see the picturesque Nile boats, like the
lateen boats of the Mediterranean. The avenue leads out to the pyramids,
and there in the far distance you can see them,--those golden cones
about which is wrapped so much of Egypt's history and mystery. The first
sight of the pyramids naturally means much to any intelligent traveler.
It makes no difference how much you have read, how much you have heard
of them, you cannot be disappointed. It is said that the pyramids will
last as long as the world, and they certainly look it. They represent
to us the life of the world stretching back into the dim past; and,
in their imposing solidity, they seem to give assurance of lasting to
eternity. There are four of the pyramids in this group; though the mind
naturally dwells on the largest,--the Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops. And to
think that these are the works of man, and that they are tombs of the
kings who lived and reigned somewhere about fifty centuries ago! The
Great Pyramid of Cheops is 480 feet high and covers an area of thirteen
acres, each side being 755 feet. The dimensions of this astounding work
are almost mathematically exact. It is built of over two million blocks
of limestone, and they are fitted together with the nicety of mosaics.
How could these wonderful structures have been erected?--that has been
the question of modern engineers. It has been suggested that an inclined
plane of earth was constructed, and that the blocks were dragged by men
to the top, the inclined plane being added to and raised for each layer.
Then, when the pyramid was complete, the inclined plane of earth might
have been taken away. This, however, is only a theory. Nothing is known
of the methods employed. Originally the sides of the pyramid were smooth,
and a little of this outer facing is still in place. These prism-shaped
blocks were taken away from time to time for building purposes in Cairo.
[Illustration: GIZEH
Great Pyramid, Sphinx, and Temple of Armachis.]
People climb the pyramid, and also go inside. In the very heart of the
Great Pyramid is a tomb chamber, where we see the empty coffin of Cheops
or Khufu. The tomb was rifled long ago, and no one knows where the king's
ashes are.
Ascent to the summit of the Great Pyramid means arduous climbing; but it
is worth while simply for the view it affords of the desert. Most of us
imagine the desert as a level of white sand. I thought so until I saw it
from the summit of this pyramid. The desert stretches off in long waves,
and does not seem like a plain, but rather like the rolling ocean.
THE SPHINX
Not far from Cheops we see above the waves of sand a rough-hewn head that
stirs us mightily. No one can forget the first impression of the Sphinx.
It stands for something unique in history and in knowledge. No one with
a spark of reverence in his nature can stand before that great stone
face without a feeling of awe. There will be little that he can say--the
most reverent ones say nothing. There before you is that half-buried,
crouching figure of stone about which you have read and heard so much.
The paws are covered by sand. It is only by industrious shoveling and
digging that the desert is prevented from rising on the wings of the wind
and completely burying the great figure.
[Illustration: THE SPHINX
From a drawing showing the front uncovered by sand.]
The Sphinx is the symbol of inscrutable wisdom, and its lips are supposed
to be closed in mysterious silence,--knowing profoundly, but telling
nothing. These are, however, mere impressions. Facts are the important
things. No one knows how old the Sphinx is. It is supposed to have been
made during the middle empire; but later investigations seem to prove
that the Sphinx existed in the time of Cheops, which would mean that it
is even older than the Great Pyramid. The Sphinx was made out of living
rock, and the dimensions are as follows: Body, 150 feet long; paws, 50
feet long; head, 30 feet long; face, 14 feet wide; and the distance from
top of head to base, 70 feet.
[Illustration: FALLEN STATUE OF RAMESES, MEMPHIS]
It must have been an imposing monument when constructed; for then it
stood in position to guard the valley of the Nile, and about it was
Memphis, the great city of Egypt--Memphis now past and gone. Memphis was
once the capital city of the Pharaohs, and is said to have been founded
by Menes. In its day of glory it was a prosperous and well fortified
city. About 1600 B. C. it was supplanted as capital by Thebes, and the
glory of Pharaoh's court was transferred to the southern city.
THEBES
The most flourishing period in the history of Thebes was between 1600 and
1100 B. C. Thebes in turn fell into decay, and is now only a small place
visited in the course of a trip to Luxor and Karnak. The situation of
Thebes is interesting. It lies in the widest section of the Nile Valley,
with a broad plain on the west stretching off to the Libyan Mountains. On
this plain are the famous statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. Across
the Nile, on the east bank, stand the ruins of Luxor and Karnak, and
beyond them to the east are the Arabian hills.
[Illustration: MEMPHIS
Front of the second court of the Ramesseum.]
[Illustration: THE COLOSSI OF MEMNON
These two gigantic statues stand near the approach of the Temple of
Amenophis. One of them is known as the Vocal Memnon. Inscriptions on
the vocal statue record the visits of those who were with Hadrian, and
of others, and relate that they heard the voice of Memnon. The Colossi
are of hard gritstone, monolithic, and forty-seven feet in height, with
pedestals twelve feet high. They represent Amenophis III, seated on his
throne, and are sixty feet apart.]
Notable monuments on the west side are the temples of Seti I, Rameses
II and III, which bear the names of El Kurna, the Ramesseum, and
Medinet-Abu. Lying by the side of the Ramesseum is the fallen Colossus of
Rameses II, the largest statue in Egypt. It is made of pink granite, and
is about sixty feet in height--or length, we should now say, since the
statue is prostrate.
LUXOR
Not far from Thebes is the village of Luxor: not much in itself, but
just a place to stay while visiting the temples. It is pleasing to note
that they have done a good work there in raising the embankment in the
hope of keeping the Nile water out of the temples. The bank is steep;
for the Nile rises high every year. In olden times these temples were
evidently protected from the water by some means; but now it rises half
up over them. The Temple of Luxor is one of the most beautiful and
interesting in Egypt; though not so imposing as the Temples of Karnak.
As you approach you can only see a part of it; for there is a fence
up there, and if you want to go through you have to show a ticket. A
so-called "monument ticket" can be obtained from the government for about
six dollars a year, and this will enable a visitor to see every monument
in Egypt. The fund thus raised is used to save the monuments, and every
penny of it goes to that work.
[Illustration: RAMESES STATUES AT LUXOR]
The beauty of the Temple of Luxor is in its splendid colonnade. It must
have been superb when in good condition, with colors fresh and bright.
KARNAK
The Temple of Karnak, too, is a distinguished mass of columns, the most
imposing structure of its kind in existence. It was erected by Seti I
and his son, Rameses II. Amenophis also had a hand in the building of
it. They were great builders in those days, and all their plans were
conceived on a vast scale. The ruins of Karnak are magnificent. Some
idea of the impressive character of their columns may be gathered from
the following statement: There are 134 great columns forming the central
aisle, 12 of these 62 feet high and 12 feet thick, the rest of them 42
feet high and 9 feet thick. You will notice traces of color, and can
gather from that what the temple must have been in its full glory. On a
recent trip I found some German artists at Karnak, and suggested that if
they would get some water and throw it over the columns they would obtain
the effect of the true coloring. A good color chart of these columns has
now been secured, showing them as they were three thousand years ago. On
its outside walls sculptures tell the history of the splendid conquests
of the kings that erected the structure.
[Illustration: MOONLIGHT ON THE NILE
Reproduced from a night photograph taken near Luxor.]
[Illustration: LUXOR, FROM OPPOSITE BANK OF THE NILE]
Egypt is a country of impressive temples and monuments, the interest of
which has not been exhausted by a library of books on the subject. A
trip through Egypt is not complete without a visit to the Ramesseum and
that unique monument, the Temple of Denderah. The latter is a building
set apart in architectural and in historic interest. It is not imposing;
but it has an appeal that the other temples have not. It was a place of
mystery. Its inner chamber, the sanctuary of Denderah, was sacred to
Pharaoh himself.
THE GREAT DAM AT ASSOUAN
[Illustration: EUERGETES GATE, KARNAK
A splendid example of the Egyptian square arch form.]
As one goes up the river visiting these strange monuments, he finds at
the first cataract of the Nile an imposing object of modern interest.
This is the dam at Assouan, one of the greatest feats of engineering in
the world. The dam, which was completed in 1902, is a mile and a quarter
long. It holds back the waters of the Nile, and supplies the reservoir,
from which the waters are led into irrigation canals. The benefits of
this great dam are felt from its location at the first cataract all
through the farms and fields that skirt the Nile clear to the delta, six
hundred miles below. It has made acres fertile that had been barren.
It also, of course, has relieved the burden of the poor workmen at the
shadoofs who dipped water for irrigation. Moreover, the dam has improved
the conditions of transportation on the Nile; for it has disposed of
the first cataract, where boats formerly had to be pulled through the
rapids by men. Now the vessels go into a canal, and are conveniently and
promptly lifted up through four locks to the level of the upper Nile.
The visitor should not leave Egypt till he has seen Philæ, with its
beautiful temples, ruined walls, and colonnades. It is a sight for
artists to draw and for us to dream of,--Philæ apparently afloat; for now
the Nile water has penetrated the halls of its temples and surrounded its
beautiful columns.
On returning from the upper Nile a visitor should go to the new National
Museum at Cairo. He may have visited this interesting place before he
took the Nile trip; but he will know more on his return. The valuable
collection of Egyptian antiquities there in the museum will mean more
to him. Months could be spent with profit in this building. It contains
one of the richest and most interesting collections of historic remains
in the world--the result of years of exploration, excavation, and the
intelligent study of eminent scholars. There before you are the relics of
ancient Egypt. There are the statues, mummies, and other antiquities that
the government has collected. In them you may read the history of ancient
Egypt and learn to appreciate the life, literature, and art of Pharaoh's
time.
[Illustration: THE ISLAND OF PHILÆ
This picture shows the beauty of Philæ before the waters of the Nile rose
about it. Since the building of the great dam at Assouan the temples of
Philæ are half under water.]
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SUPPLEMENTARY READING.--"Modern Egypt and Thebes," Sir Gardiner
Wilkinson; "A Thousand Miles Up the Nile," A. B. Edwards; "Egypt," S.
Lane-Poole; "A History of Egypt from the Earliest Times to the Persian
Conquest," J. H. Breasted; "A Short History of Ancient Egypt," P. E.
Newberry and J. Garstang; "The Empire of the Ptolemies," J. P. Mahaffy;
"Egypt in the Nineteenth Century," D. A. Cameron; "Modern Egypt," Lord
Cromer.
* * * * *
THE MENTOR
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The Mentor Association, Inc.
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Volume I Number 42
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SECOND-CLASS MATTER, COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION,
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SECRETARY, W. D. MOFFAT; TREASURER, J. S. CAMPBELL; ASST. TREASURER
AND ASST. SECRETARY, H. A. CROWE.
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_Editorial_
It was no easy matter for Mr. Elmendorf to present the subject of Egypt
in an article of only 2,500 words. He has confined himself in his
characteristic interesting manner to the impressions of a traveler. Of
the great store of archæological treasures in Egypt, the monuments,
statues, tablets, tombs, inscriptions--in fact all that is comprehended
under the name Egyptology--Mr. Elmendorf could say nothing. These are
subjects for the historical student rather than for the traveler. And
they will be taken up in turn in The Mentor of some later date when we
will approach the subject of Egypt from the standpoint of the historical
student. There is, however, one question that readers of Mr. Elmendorf's
article are apt to ask--in fact ordinary curiosity would prompt the
inquiry. The monuments of Egypt are covered with historic records in the
form of inscriptions. These records are hieroglyphic. They are what some
people call "picture writings." The natural question is "How were these
hieroglyphics deciphered." The answer is interesting, and it seems to us
that both question and answer belong in the number of The Mentor with Mr.
Elmendorf's article.
* * * * *
The River Nile separates at its delta into two branches. The eastern
stream enters the Mediterranean at Damietta. The western stream enters
the great sea at Rosetta. It was near this latter town that an officer
in Napoleon's army discovered, in August, 1799, the key to Egyptian
hieroglyphics. It is called the Rosetta Stone, and it is now in the
British Museum.
* * * * *
For years the hieroglyphic was an unknown language, and the history of
Egypt, except such as is contained in the Bible, was a blind book. The
Rosetta Stone was found to contain an inscription in three different
languages--the Hieroglyphic, the Demotic, which was the common language
of the Egyptians, and the Greek. When these inscriptions were examined,
it was discovered that they were each a translation of the other. There,
then, was the clue which opened up the whole field of Egyptian history.
* * * * *
Dr. Young, in 1814, began the work of deciphering hieroglyphics by
this clue. He worked on various inscriptions, especially the pictorial
writings on the walls of Karnak. The value of this discovery may be
appreciated when we consider that its discovery has enabled scholars
to translate hieroglyphics almost as easily as they would any of the
classic writings. The actual inscription on the Rosetta Stone is not so
important in itself. It is a decree issued in honor of Ptolemy Epiphanes
by the priests of Egypt assembled in a synod of Memphis on account of
the remission of arrears on taxes and dues. It was put up in 195 B. C.
Since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone other tablets containing
more important inscriptions have been found, but the unique value of the
Rosetta Stone lies in the fact that it contains a corresponding Greek
inscription, thereby affording a clue to the meaning of the hieroglyphics.
* * * * *
The stone is black basalt, three feet seven inches in length, two feet
six inches in width, and ten inches thick. After it was found by the
French it was transferred to the British, and in 1802, it was brought to
England, where it was mounted and placed in the British Museum.
* * * * *
The Rosetta Stone is a corner stone of Egyptology. And the revelations of
early Egyptian history and life, brought to light by means of it, have
cleared some of the mystery of Egypt and have made known much of its
history.
* * * * *
[Illustration: VIEW OF CAIRO, EGYPT]
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_EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _Cairo_
------------------------------- ONE -------------------------------
Cairo is the capital of modern Egypt, and the most populous city in
Africa. By the Arabs it is called Maçr-el-Qâhira or simply Maçr. It is
situated on the Nile, extending along the east bank of that river for
about five miles. Cairo itself is really the fourth Moslem capital of
Egypt. The site of one of those which preceded it is partly included
within its walls, while the other two were a little to the south. Jauhar
or Gohar-el-Kaid, the conqueror of Egypt for the Fatimite calif El-Moizz,
in 968 founded El-Qâhira, "The Victorious." This name was finally
corrupted into Cairo.
The city was founded on the spot occupied by the camp of the conqueror.
It grew larger and more important as the years went by. In 1175 the
Crusaders attacked Cairo; but were repulsed. The town prospered; but in
1517 it was conquered by the Turks. Thereafter it declined. The French
captured the city in 1798. The Turkish and English forces drove them out
in 1801, and Cairo was then handed over to Turkey.
A few years later Mehemet Ali became the Turkish viceroy. This man was
a bold and unscrupulous schemer. He was born in Macedonia, and became
colonel of the troops of the Turkish sultan and was stationed in Egypt.
In 1805 he was appointed governor. Two years later England tried to get
possession of the country; but he foiled the British.
The Mamelukes, the former rulers of Egypt, had been conquered by Napoleon
and were forced to acknowledge Mehemet Ali as master of Egypt. But they
were still powerful, and their plots hindered the plans of the ambitious
viceroy. So one day in 1811 Mehemet gave a great feast in the citadel in
Cairo, to which the Mamelukes were all invited. Four hundred and fifty
of them accepted and rode, a magnificent cavalcade, up to the citadel
through a deep, steep passageway leading from the lower town.
The lower gates of the street were suddenly closed. Behind the walls
were the armed men of Mehemet Ali. Point-blank they fired into the crowd
of horsemen. The slaughter was kept up until all were dead. Tradition
says that one man escaped by leaping his horse over a wall. Thus Mehemet
became ruler indeed of Egypt.
Under his rule Cairo grew up. He is supposed to have watched over the
welfare of his people; but, according to one historian, "they could not
suffer more and live."
Ismail Pasha, the first of the khedives (keh-deeves') modernized
Cairo. Coming from Paris filled with progressive but reckless ideas of
civilization, he resolved to transform the ancient city by the Nile into
an African metropolis. The festivities he organized on the occasion
of the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 are said to have cost twenty
million dollars. He built the opera house of Cairo, and had Verdi, the
famous composer, write the opera "Aïda" especially to be produced there
in 1871. His extravagances plunged Egypt into debt, but in 1882 Cairo was
occupied by the British, and under their rule Egypt came gradually from
under this heavy burden of indebtedness.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
* * * * *
[Illustration: PYRAMIDS, EGYPT]
====================================================================
_EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _The Pyramids_
------------------------------- TWO ------------------------------
"All things fear Time; but Time fears the Pyramids," says the ancient
proverb. The pyramids are for eternity. They alone of all man's works
seem able to conquer time. They are mute witnesses to the greatness and
majesty of Egypt five thousand years ago. The Egyptian pyramids are
royal tombs, the burial vaults of kings. A pyramid was constructed of
horizontal layers of rough-hewn blocks with a small amount of mortar. The
outside casing was of massive blocks, usually greater in thickness than
in height. Inside of each pyramid, always low down, and usually below the
ground level, was built a sepulchral chamber. This room, which contained
the body of the king, was always reached by a passage from the north,
sometimes beginning in the pyramid face, sometimes descending into the
rock on which the pyramid was built. To build but a single one of these
huge tombs must have taken thousands of slaves many years, and there
are seventy-six of them in existence today. What a record of toil and
suffering for the vanity of kings!
The oldest of these pyramids is the Step Pyramid of Sakkara. It is
supposed to be the oldest building of stone in the world. It lies near
the vanished city of Memphis, the capital city of King Menes, the first
Egyptian monarch whose name is known to history, and the founder of the
earliest known dynasty, variously estimated to have been from 5702 to
2691 B. C.
The greatest and most famous pyramid is the Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)
at Gizeh. It was originally four hundred and eighty feet high; its base
covers an area of thirteen acres; and each side is seven hundred and
fifty-five feet long. The ancient builders were so accurate in their
work that modern engineers have discovered an error of only sixty-five
one-hundredths of an inch in the length of the sides of the base, and
of one-three-hundredth of a degree in angle at the corners. The base is
practically a perfect square.
The Pyramid of Khufu is the only surviving wonder of the Seven Wonders
of the ancient world. One hundred thousand men worked for twenty years
to build this tomb, which contains two million three hundred thousand
limestone blocks, of an average weight of two and a half tons. How the
tremendous undertaking was ever accomplished is one of the mysteries of
the world. But even this huge tomb was no protection against robbers. The
body of King Khufu has disappeared, stolen from its famous resting place
centuries ago.
To ascend the pyramid one has to climb steps, narrow and about three feet
apart. For a small fee the Arabs help the tourist to the top, from where
the view is well worth the trouble. The blocks that formed the point
of the pyramid have been removed, and the summit is a level platform
thirty-six feet square.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE SPHINX, EGYPT]
====================================================================
_EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _The Sphinx_
------------------------------- THREE ------------------------------
Battered and broken by the attacks of time and man, buffeted by the
desert winds, flat faced, and almost featureless, the Sphinx is still the
possessor of its mighty secret--the mystery of the ages. "It is still
able to express by the smile of those closed lips the inanity of our most
profound human conjectures."
Everyone knows about the Sphinx at Gizeh near the Great Pyramids. This is
proved by the common use of the word "sphinxlike," applied to that which
holds, but will not disclose, mystery. But not everyone knows the reason
for the form of the Sphinx, half human and half beast.
Sphinx is the Greek name for a compound creature with a lion's body and
a human head. The Greek sphinx had male wings and a female bust. The
sphinx of Egypt was wingless, and was called "Androsphinx" by Herodotus.
In Egypt the sphinx was usually designed as lying down. The heads of the
Egyptian sphinxes are royal portraits, apparently intended to represent
the power of the reigning Pharaoh.
The most famous sphinx is the great Sphinx of Gizeh. No one knows who
formed this gigantic figure of mystery nor when it was made. It was cut
from a ridge of natural rock, with patches of masonry here and there to
carry out the effect. The body is one hundred and forty feet long, and it
faces eastward, looking out over the valley of the Nile. It has been said
that the Sphinx was probably intended to be the guardian of the entrance
to the Nile Valley.
The name of the Sphinx in Egyptian was "Hu." The inscriptions in the
shrine between its paws say that it represented the sun god Hormakhu.
In the long past days of Egypt's grandeur the Sphinx was a central
feature of the grandest cemetery the world has ever seen. This was the
cemetery of Memphis, the metropolis of Egypt. The city of Memphis was
the chief city of King Menes, who founded the earliest known dynasty.
Now the only things that mark the site of the vanished metropolis are
two colossal but fallen statues of Egypt's vainest king, Rameses II, the
Great.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
* * * * *
[Illustration: TEMPLE OF LUXOR, EGYPT]
====================================================================
_EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _The Temple of Luxor_
------------------------------- FOUR ------------------------------
The ancient Egyptians had a great many gods; but the greatest of all was
the Sun God. His name was Amun, and this meant "the hidden or veiled
one." All worship of this god was mysterious and shrouded in darkness.
In that way the priests held their power over the people. It was at old
Thebes that the greatest temples of the Sun God were built. For about
two thousand years Thebes was the capital of the powerful Egyptian
Pharaohs. It was called Weset and Nut, which means "The City." The Greeks
gave it the name of Thebai. Now this once great and important city has
disappeared except for its ruins.
The little village of Luxor occupies the southern part of ancient Thebes.
It is on the east bank of the Nile, four hundred and fifty miles from
Cairo. Its name, Luxor, is a corruption of the Arabic El-Kusur, meaning
"The Castles," and referring to the many-columned courts of the abandoned
temples.
The great king of Egypt, Amenophis III, built the temple of Amun about
which Luxor has grown up. He did not finish it, and Rameses II added to
it a huge columned court. But this temple was never altogether completed.
Still, it measures almost 900 feet from front to rear.
Rameses II also erected outside some colossal statues and a pair of
obelisks. One of these obelisks now stands in the Place de la Concorde in
Paris. It was taken there in 1831.
The chief religious festival of Thebes was that of "Southern Opi," the
ancient name of Luxor. The sacred ships of the gods, which were kept in
the temple of Karnak, were then taken in procession to Luxor and back.
Most of the old village of Luxor lay inside the courts of the temple. The
Christians built churches within the temple. Luxor was also called Abul
Haggag, from a Moslem saint of the seventh century. His tomb stands on a
high heap of debris in the court of Rameses.
Today Luxor is a tourist center, and several fine hotels have been
erected to accommodate the many visitors to the famous ruins. Nearly all
the debris has been cleared away by the _Service des Antiquités_, which
took up this work in 1885. Most of the natives thereabout are engaged
in the manufacture of forged antiques, which they sell to the unwary
traveler.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
* * * * *
[Illustration: KARNAK--VIEW FROM SACRED LAKE, EGYPT]
====================================================================
_EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _Karnak_
------------------------------- FIVE ------------------------------
A little village with a big ruin,--that is Karnak. Karnak itself is a
town of only twelve thousand people in upper Egypt, which has given
its name to the northern half of the ruins of ancient Thebes. The most
important of these ruins are the ruins of the temple of Amun. These are
to other ruins what the Grand Canyon of the Colorado is to other gorges.
Many of Egypt's kings contributed to build the temple of Amun at Karnak.
Karnak represents colossal antiquity. Here are to be found the highest
columns on earth. They are one hundred and thirty-four in number; but
many have crumbled and fallen to earth. The large columns were nearly
twelve feet thick and sixty-two feet high. On top of each a hundred
men could have stood. Each column was made up of many half-drums put
together, and on them are raised reliefs, once painted with bright
colors, picturing the events in the reigns of the various kings of Egypt.
But now their glory has departed. The walls of the temple have fallen,
and all that we can see is a mass of ruins, resembling the litter of an
avalanche.
Tribute from all the world once poured into the coffers of the priests of
Amun. The Egyptian kings gave them a great share of the spoils of their
conquering raids, and Rameses III gave ninety thousand of his prisoners
of war to them for slaves. Finally these priests became so rich and
powerful that the high priest of Amun took the throne and became ruler of
the Egyptians.
In 1899 a great calamity came upon the ruins of the temple. Eleven of the
standing columns fell. These were all restored by 1908, and the work of
excavation, strengthening, and reconstruction is still going on.
Beside the temple of Amun at Karnak there are two other ruins of
importance. A temple of the god Mut, built by Amenophis III, and restored
by Rameses II and the Ptolemys, has almost disappeared, except for a well
preserved gateway and the plan of the foundations. The other ruin, the
temple of Khuns, was built by Rameses II and his successors.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE GREAT DAM, ASSOUAN, EGYPT]
====================================================================
_EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _The Dam at Assouan_
------------------------------- SIX ------------------------------
There are many ancient and awe-inspiring monuments in Egypt; but one work
of modern times there does not suffer in comparison with the greatest
things that the Pharaohs have left us. The tombs, the pyramids, and the
obelisks were built at the cost of terrible suffering, merely to satisfy
the vanity of selfish kings; but this great work has given life to the
land, enriched the population, and made their labor far lighter. It is
the dam at Assouan.
Assouan, or Aswan, is a town of upper Egypt on the east bank of the River
Nile below the first cataract. It has of late grown very popular as a
winter health resort, and many large modern hotels are now situated there.
At the beginning of the cataract, three and a half miles above the town,
is the dam of Assouan. This is a mile and a quarter long from shore to
shore. It was finished in December, 1902. This dam controls the water of
the Nile, and makes possible the irrigation of vast areas of land that
had hitherto been dead and unproductive. Water is very valuable in Egypt.
Before the dam was built a boat had to be hauled up the rapids of the
first cataract by hundreds of natives. It was an all-day task. Now a
canal with four locks quietly and quickly takes vessels to the upper
level of the Nile.
The dam has transformed the river above it into a huge lake. Many former
islands have been wholly or partly submerged. The Isle of Philæ is the
most important of these. The goddess Isis was worshiped there, and there
were temples erected to her. One rocky point of the island is still above
water. The rest of Philæ is an Egyptian Venice. Water paves the courts of
the temples and gives added beauty to the relics of the past.
Opposite Philæ, on the east bank of the Nile, is the village of Shellal.
This town is the southern terminus of the Egyptian railway, and the
starting point of steamers for the Sudan.
Near Assouan are the quarries from which the old Egyptians took granite
for their obelisks. There is still one obelisk all carved and shaped,
ready to be taken from the rock. When an obelisk was shaped, holes were
bored in the rock all along the line of separation. Wedges of wood were
driven into these holes and soaked with water. The wet wood expanded, and
the great obelisk was broken from the mother rock. It was then ready to
be shipped to its destination.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
* * * * *
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