Ebook Art in the House

The description which we have given of Egyptian houses in general applies also to palaces, whose plan was identical, though on a far grander scale. Approached, like temples, through avenues of human or ram headed sphinxes, they con sisted of a series of courts surrounded by colonnades, to which pylons of colossal proportions gave entrance, and of many small chambers occupied by the king, his wives and children, and the officers of his household with their attendants. There were also several sanctuaries dedicated to as many divinities, where the king, who was deified during life, worshipped his own image as well as the images of his ancestors, and took part in other sacred rites.