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 temple at Memphis
received numerous additions during a long succession of ages. Some
parts, both of this temple and of the larger building at Carnak
(sometimes called a palace), have been constructed out of the
materials of earlier buildings, as we see from blocks of stone being
occasionally placed with inverted hieroglyphics. It is impossible
without good drawings and very long descriptions, to give anything