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Columns
The temple has two columns, both with an open flower motif. The capitals have four rows of leafs,
the first being large bell-shaped flowers, the other rows being smaller forms of this same shape.
Veined leafs are portrayed on the flowers. The lowest row has droplet shaped decoration hanging
from the leafs, like seen in the Taffeh temple as well. On the columns the stems of the plants are
depicted, being held together by five bands.
Aldred interprets the flowers as papyrus flowers and the type of column as the composite form. It
is difficult to determine the exact difference between the stylised campaniform and the composite
form, as the composite form is derived from the campaniform. Each of the capitals is decorated by
clustered papyrus umbels. The shafts represent a bundle of stems. Both capitals are also decorated
with sunk reliefs. Aldred interpreted the scenes as men bringing offerings of animals and flowers
into the temple (Aldred 1978, 50).
By the MET the columns are described to have represented tall bundles of papyrus stalks with
lotus blossoms around them. Above the temple entrance is an image of the sun disc flanked by
wings, described to be the outspread wings of Horus, the sky god (www.metmuseum.org, accessed
on 27-3-2019).
I agree with Aldred that is could be a composite form. The decoration of the capitals of this form
include floral designs derived of different real or invented plant types. These could include the
papyrus plant, the lotus flower or the palm tree. They are however often stylised and the original
floral motifs are difficult to recognise. This type is most common in the Ptolemaic and Roman
periods. The capitals of the hypostyle hall were commonly decorated as water plants as they
symbolised the marshland near the mound of creation (Wilkinson 2007, 66-67).
The symbolic meaning of columns was related either to the mythology of the earth supporting the
celestial realm of the sky with columns in which case they were defined as cosmic pillars. The
columns could also represent the marshland vegetation that sprung up around the primeval
mound of creation, which was symbolised by the sanctuary. In this case the columns were
decorated as plants, such as papyrus stems, while the capitals were decorated as flowers of such
plants. Hypostyle halls usually had at least four stone columns (Wilkinson 2007, 65-66).