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commonly stone copies of plant trunks or bundles of stems of a smaller diameter, such as those of
the papyrus plant. The shafts and capitals are usually connected by five horizontal ties. These
represented lashings holding together a bundle of stems. A low abacus is usually connected to the
column connecting it to the architraves upon it. There is a great variety of column designs. The
design of a column is usually directed by its location.
Bud-like capitals are found in open courts and away from the central axis of the inner temple.
Open-flower motifs are found in the temple’s central areas. This pattern is however not always
followed. Especially later temples show great variation in the location and the style of certain
columnar forms. This is especially true for the Graeco-Roman period. Even the capitals in those
periods however seem to be derived from major types (Wilkinson, 43-66).
The temple has six columns supporting a roof. Two flanked the central door.
These columns were
located on 45 cm high blocks and positioned against the corners of the temple. Four more columns
were located within the temple. The columns were each constructed from one block of sandstone
according to Schneider (Raven 1996 39-42; Schneider 1979, 95; Clarysse 2010, 275).
There were 4 types of columns in the temple:
The two capitals of the columns of the facade were similar. The two capitals of the second row are
also alike. The two columns on the third row have capitals that differ from each other as well as
from the other capitals in the temple. (Raven 1996, 43)
The columns are made up of round base blocks, eight tholobates and a reworked capital. They
stood on two foundation walls. On top of the capitals four squared abacus-blocks were positioned.
Each of the capitals is made from one block of sandstone (Raven 1996, 39-40; Schneider 1979,
103).
The columns originally stood on two foundation walls. The space in between these walls was filled
with mud and debris and was hidden from sight by the temple floor. The temple floor was made
from separate, flat blocks of sandstone with an angular structure (Raven 1996, 42).
Schneider describes the columns to be excellent examples of ‘Roman-Egyptian’ sculpturing. The
motives on the capitals of the columns represent different parts of the papyrus plant according to
Schneider. The motives of the capitals are interpreted as different parts of the papyrus plant. There
are some variations in the details of the decoration of the columns (Schneider 1979, 92; 103-104).