EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY

By DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF

THE MENTOR · SERIAL NUMBER 42
DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL

◆

MENTOR GRAVURES

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
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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.

TOMBS OF MAMELUKES, CAIRO

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.
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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.

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.

BAZAAR STREET, CAIRO Where the most interesting shops are found.

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
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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.

THE OLDEST PYRAMID, SAKKARA

DISTANT VIEW OF PYRAMIDS, WITH THE NILE

THE PYRAMIDS

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
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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.

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
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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.

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.

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
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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.

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.

FALLEN STATUE OF RAMESES, MEMPHIS

MEMPHIS Front of the second court of the Ramesseum.

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.

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
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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.

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.

RAMESES STATUES AT LUXOR

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.

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MOONLIGHT ON THE NILE
Reproduced from a night photograph taken near Luxor.

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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.

EUERGETES GATE, KARNAK
A splendid example of the Egyptian
square arch form.

THE GREAT DAM AT ASSOUAN

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
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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.

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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THE MENTOR

ISSUED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

The Mentor Association, Inc.

381 Fourth Ave., New York, N. Y.

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.

« Plate I »

VIEW OF CAIRO, EGYPT

  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.

« Plate II »

PYRAMIDS, EGYPT

  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.

« Plate III »

THE SPHINX, EGYPT

  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.

« Plate IV »

TEMPLE OF LUXOR, EGYPT

  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.

« Plate V »

KARNAK—VIEW FROM SACRED LAKE, EGYPT

  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.

« Plate VI »

THE GREAT DAM, ASSOUAN, EGYPT

  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.