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2016 October

Photo: Jorge Lasca

Photo: Jorge Lasca

The noise was heard for miles

Jeff Burzacott October 11, 2016

In 1899, after standing proud for over 3,000 years, eleven massive stone columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple suddenly collapsed to the ground.

The Great Hypostyle Hall was built by King Seti I to represent a huge, primeval papyrus swamp; a forest of towering papyrus-shaped sandstone columns. The central columns are simply massive—over 20 metres (65 feet) high, with a diameter of over three metres.

Yet despite the huge bulk of the columns, the ancient architects chose to stand them on woefully inadequate foundations. Beneath each column base was a pit filled with rough masonry, largely taken from the Karnak temples of Akhenaten. These had been “piously demolished by his orthodox successors.” (French Egyptologist, Alexandre Moret.)

Given the flimsy foundations, it’s a wonder that the Great Hypostyle Hall hadn’t collapsed centuries ago.

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Satisfy your passion for ancient Egypt.NILE Magazine June-July 2017 is out now. Inside:- The Tomb-1000 years of robbery and reuse.- Egypt's first ever funerary garden discovered.- World Museum's new ancient Egypt gallery.- Art and Archaeol…

Satisfy your passion for ancient Egypt.
NILE Magazine June-July 2017 is out now. Inside:
- The Tomb-1000 years of robbery and reuse.
- Egypt's first ever funerary garden discovered.
- World Museum's new ancient Egypt gallery.
- Art and Archaeology meet: the two worlds of Susan Osgood.
- The Royal Tombs of Ancient Egypt.
- Aswan's powerful governors.
- On This Day in Egyptology history.
- Plus much more.

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NILE Magazine

Because You Love Ancient Egypt