Fig. 60.—The Libyan chain, above the necropolis of Thebes.
An appearance of incomparable gravity, of solemnity, is also stamped upon it by the small number of openings for the admission of light of which it makes use, and also by their arrangement. Compared to our modern architecture, in which windows play such an important part, that of Egypt is prison-like in its gloom; but, in consequence of its rare openings and their small size, it presents more imposing walls than any other style.
One of the essential arrangements of Egyptian architecture is shared by many other countries, that of the portico, by which we mean an alternation of voids and solids in certain well defined proportions, either for ornamenting the exterior and providing a covered way, or for dividing the halls of the interior and supporting their roofs.
Fig. 61.—General appearance of an Egyptian Temple.[95]
The relation between voids and solids in any style of architecture is one of the most vital characteristics.
In the case of Egypt this relation gives rise to the following remarks:
1. Supports of the same kind and of the same diameter may have very different heights in one and the same building ([Fig. 62]).