A little village with a big ruin,--that is Karnak. Karnak itself is a town of only twelve thousand people in upper Egypt, which has given its name to the northern half of the ruins of ancient Thebes. The most important of these ruins are the ruins of the temple of Amun. These are to other ruins what the Grand Canyon of the Colorado is to other gorges. Many of Egypt's kings contributed to build the temple of Amun at Karnak. Karnak represents colossal antiquity. Here are to be found the highest columns on earth. They are one hundred and thirty-four in number; but many have crumbled and fallen to earth. The large columns were nearly twelve feet thick and sixty-two feet high. On top of each a hundred men could have stood. Each column was made up of many half-drums put together, and on them are raised reliefs, once painted with bright colors, picturing the events in the reigns of the various kings of Egypt. But now their glory has departed. The walls of the temple have fallen, and all that we can see is a mass of ruins, resembling the litter of an avalanche. Tribute from all the world once poured into the coffers of the priests of Amun. The Egyptian kings gave them a great share of the spoils of their conquering raids, and Rameses III gave ninety thousand of his prisoners of war to them for slaves. Finally these priests became so rich and powerful that the high priest of Amun took the throne and became ruler of the Egyptians. In 1899 a great calamity came upon the ruins of the temple. Eleven of the standing columns fell. These were all restored by 1908, and the work of excavation, strengthening, and reconstruction is still going on. Beside the temple of Amun at Karnak there are two other ruins of importance. A temple of the god Mut, built by Amenophis III, and restored by Rameses II and the Ptolemys, has almost disappeared, except for a well preserved gateway and the plan of the foundations. The other ruin, the temple of Khuns, was built by Rameses II and his successors. PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 42, SERIAL No. 42 COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC. * * * * * [Illustration: THE GREAT DAM, ASSOUAN, EGYPT] ==================================================================== _EGYPT, THE LAND OF MYSTERY_ _The Dam at Assouan_ ------------------------------- SIX ------------------------------ There are many ancient and awe-inspiring monuments in Egypt; but one work of modern times there does not suffer in comparison with the greatest things that the Pharaohs have left us. The tombs, the pyramids, and the obelisks were built at the cost of terrible suffering, merely to satisfy the vanity of selfish kings; but this great work has given life to the land, enriched the population, and made their labor far lighter. It is the dam at Assouan.