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All the columns are campaniform. This form was rare in ancient Egypt, but their more stylised form
became popular in the Graeco-Roman period. Also the designs of the capitals are to be expected in
the Graeco-Roman period. The open flower motifs are found in the temple as expected of the
Egyptian tradition, although no columns have been found outside the temple, so studying the
placement of different column types is difficult. There is however great variation even within the
temple itself in columnar forms. The capitals do seem to be derived from the major types, namely
the papyrus plant.
What is odd is that Schneider mentions the columns are made of one single block of sandstone,
which is only typical for traditional temple building, especially in the earlier periods. Therefore I
agree with Schneider’s statement that these capitals are a good example of Graeco-Roman capitals
(Wilkinson 2007, 66-67).
The eastern wall
In the back of the eastern wall, the right side when facing the entrance, another small doorway
was located (Schneider 1979, 92-103).
Fig. 10 The small door on the right (east) side of the temple (www.maps.google.com, accessed on 27-3-2019)
Fig. 11 side view and cross section of the temple (Schneider 1979, 97)
According to Schneider this door was a Nilometre build during the christian period in Egypt.
Nilometres are well-like gauges designed to measure the height of the river and predict the annual
flooding. They were constructed along the Nile. They can vary significantly in size and style. Some
have a few measuring steps at the water’s edge. The Nilometre might be open of have steps
flanked by walls, sometimes covered with a roof. True Nilometre can be recognised by their