DENDERATI, the Tentyra of the ancients, a ruined town of Upper Egypt, celebrated for its temple, which is one of the most splendid remains of antiquity in all Egypt. Dr. Richardson, Belzoni, and others, have given descriptions of this temple, which the first-mmed traveller considers to have been erected in the period of the Ptolemies. Its remains occupy a vast extent of ground, and consist of various lmild ings, besides the temple itself. These are enclosed within a wall built of sun-dried bricks, in some places 35 feet high, and 15 feet thick. The portico in front of the temple is formed of 21 columns, ranged in fbur rows, having quadran gular capitals. on each side of which is a colossal head, sur mounted by another quadrangular member, containing in each ffice a temple doorway with two winged globes above, and other decorations. The shafts of the columns are cylindrical, and of equal diameter throughout. The whole height, includ ing capital, &c., being a little above 4S English feet.
The front is adorned with a beautiful frieze, covered with figures. over the centre of which the winged globe is predo minant. The walls, columns, ceilings, and also the interior chambers, are in the same manner covered with hieroglyphics and sculptures, in which the figure of Isis is repeated in numberless instances. The light in the chambers comes in through small holes in the wall ; the sanctuary itself is quite dark. The ceiling of the portico is occupied by a number of
figures, by some travellers supposed to he the signs of the zodiac, but with greater accuracy shown by Dr. Richardson and recent travellers and arclueologists, to be merely a col lection of mythological emblems, without any reference to astronomy.
On the ceiling of one of the apartments in the upper story, under the roof of the temple, there was another assemblage of emblems, similar to those already mentioned, but fewer in number, and differently arranged. This was called a planisphere or zodiac, because in the middle of it figures resembling those usually adopted to represent the signs of the zodiac were observed. The opinion of well-• informed travellers, however. with respect to this collection of figures, as to the former, is that it is only a represen tation of gods and goddesses, and religious processions, and has no astronomical meaning whatever.
The so-called circular zodiac, which was sculptured on a kind of sandstone, was cut out of the ceiling by a French man, with the permission of the pasha, and conveyed to France; when it was purchased by the French government, and deposited in the Museum, at Paris.