The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-08

Egypt after the regular tourist season was over, and could not visit all of the ruins. We selected the most famous, those of the two ancient cities, Thebes and Memphis, and they alone would re- pay a visit to Egypt. The present city of Luxor. APO miles from Cairo, covers small part of the vast area once oc- cupied by 'Hundred-eated Thebes"
 In the very heart of the city a man. moth temple has been found where kings worshipped through many reigns. It was built during the eighteenth dy- nasty (B. C.. 1500) on the site of a still older sanctuary and dedicated to Ammon. his wife, Nut, and theIr son, Khons, the moon-god. Some of the columns are twelve feet in diameter, more than forty feet in height. and support great hlocks of red granite twenty feet loug and four feet in width and thickness. Some of the columns represent clustered papvrus and have capitals shaped like the lotus bud. In the temple are number of statues of Rameses IT. some sitting. some stand Ing. One of these statues is forty-flve feet in height. and another of less di- r7ensionS was unearthed only about a year ago. When excavations were be- gun houses were serenelv resting on the top of the temple. and 1t is believed that further excavations will disclose an avenue leading to other temples two miles away.
 In front of the Luxor temple is an Gbelisk of pink granite, part of which is still under ground. Obelisks were always erected in nairs, and the companion of this one was removed some years ago to Paris. These great monoliths comS down to us from the period when the Egyptians worshipcd the sun, and they were intended to represent his rays. The oldest Egyp- tian obelisk is at Heliopolis, not far from Cairo, and is sixtv-six feet in height. It is supposed to have been erected 2000 to 2200 B. C., but 1t is in an excellent state of preservation and bids fair to bear testimony for ages yet to the reverence felt by the an- clients for the sun. At one time Hello- polls was thriving city. and is refer red to in the Bible as 'tOn." but today the obelisk stands done in the midst of cultivated fields. all of the build ings having disappa1red
 While the obelisk at Heliopolis out ranks all others in age. the one at Kar- nak in the suburbs of Luxor, has the distinction of being the tallest one yet remaining. It Is eight and one-half feet in diameter at the base and ninety seven and one-half feet in height (eight and one-half feet less than the obelisk at Romeo The obelisks were cut in a single sbaft- ronet of them from granite quarries near Assuan. These quarries are more than 500 miles south of Cairo, and 1t is supposed that the obelisks were transported on the Nile 10 the places where they have since been found, but how they were han dled or placed in position m one knows
 The temple of Ammon. at Karnak, is generally regarded as &he most inter estlns of temple ruins in Egypt. It is tho work of many kings. one adding a sanctuary. another a pylon, another a court. etc.-each placing his cartouche, or seal upon his work This temple, which was officiallly styled the Throne of the World. covers an immense area. One pylon, or gateway. is more than 300 feet wide, nearly 150 feet high, and has walls sixteen feet thick. One court covers almost 1000 square yards, | end one aisle leads between pillars six ty-nine feet in height about twelve | feet in diameter and supporting capi- 1