Accession Number
1980/1.204

Title
Béni-Hassan. Grottes du Nord

Artist(s)
Pascal Sebah

Artist Nationality
Turkish (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1880

Medium & Support
albumen print on paper

Dimensions
14 in x 17 in (35.56 cm x 43.18 cm)

Credit Line
Transfer from the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Subject matter
This photograph shows three grottoes cut into the side of a hill, likely used for burial purposes by the ancient Egyptians. Three men in dark robes are shown seated or standing on boulders just outside the middle of the three entrances. These rectangular openings are all of similar height and width and are set in a row; each comprises a horizontal lintel supported by one or two fluted columns. The smooth-cut stone of these manufactured architectural elements contrasts markedly with the jagged rock surface of the hill which rises diagonally toward the left-hand edge of the photograph and takes up much of the composition.

Physical Description
Five men sit just outside the rectangular, columned entrances of three grottoes set into the side of a hill. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Egypt
cave architecture
cave temples
cemeteries
columns
columns (architectural elements)
grottoes
hills
men (male humans)
necropolises
ruins
travel photography