Thebes lay on each side of the river, and extended also on both sides as far as the mountains.  The tombs, which are on the western side, reach even into the limits of the desert.  Four principal villages stand on the site of this ancient city,—­Luxor and Carnak on the eastern, Gournou and Medinet-Abou on the western side.  The temple of Luxor is very near the river, and there is here a good ancient jettee, well built of bricks.  The entrance to this temple is through a magnificent propylon, or gateway, facing the north, 200 feet in front, and 57 feet high above the present level of the soil.  Before the gateway stand the two most perfect obelisks that exist, formed, as usual, of the red granite of Syene, and each about 80 feet high, and from 8 to 10 feet wide at the base.  Travellers differ in their estimate of the width of the base, some, perhaps, taking the actual measure on the surface of the soil while others may make allowance for that part that is buried; for that the soil is much elevated will appear from what follows:  “Between these obelisks and the propylon are two colossal statutes, also of red granite; from the difference of the dresses it is judged that one was a male, the other a female, figure;—­they are nearly of equal sizes.  Though buried in the ground to the chest, they still measure 21 and 22 feet from thence to the top of the mitre.”  Another cause of discrepancy in the measurements may be, that the adjacent sides of the obelisks are of different dimensions; which is generally the case.

It is this gateway that is filled with those remarkable sculptures, which represent the triumph of some ancient monarch of Egypt over an Asiatic enemy, and which we find repeated, both on other monuments of Thebes, and partly also on some of the monuments of Nubia, as, for example, at Ipsambul.  This event appears to have formed an epoch in Egyptian history, and to have furnished materials both for the historian and the sculptor, like the war of Troy to the Grecian poet.  The whole length of this temple is about 800 feet.

But the remains of Carnak, about one mile and a quarter lower down the river, are still more wonderful than Luxor:  one of the buildings is probably the temple of Ammon, which we know from Diodoius was on this side of the river.  An irregular avenue of sphinxes, considerably more than a mile in length (about 6,560 feet), connected the northern entrance of the temple of Luxor with it; but this was only one of several proud approaches to perhaps the largest assemblage of buildings that ever was erected.  For a minute description of Carnak we must refer to the plans in the great French work, and to Dr. Richardson’s and Mr. Hamilton’s accounts.  The irregularities in the structure and approaches of this building show that the various parts of it were raised at different periods, for indeed it would have been impossible for any one sovereign to have completed such a monument in his life-time; and we know, also, that the great