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The Clerestory and Roof |
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 An architrave from the Hypostyle
Hall with a dedication texts of Seti I. |
The Architraves The architraves are interesting in two respects. They contain long dedication texts and the undersides of the architraves, called soffits, have been sheltered from the elements and still retain their original bright colors. The rhetoric of these architrave texts is quite grandiose and bombastic. The king is described as a god among the gods and as a superhuman warrior. The texts give accurate descriptions of the hall and its columns although they sometimes also exaggerate, claiming the columns are coated with electrum. The most colorful text describes Seti's inspiration for building the Hypostyle Hall in the first place. "Now this Good God (i.e., the king) is always eager to make monuments, lying awake at night, unable to sleep thinking about beneficial deeds to perform. It was His Person who gave instruction and guided the work on his monument. All his plans came to pass immediately." |