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Introduction

In their stone and rock-cut architecture, the ancient Egyptians used an enormous variety of pillars and columns. In this Visual Story, we will take a look at these forms. We will also give some attention to theories about their origins.

First, we need to distinguish between pillars and columns. We will do so as follows:

• Pillars are supports of square or rectangular cross-section. In most cases, these will lack both bases and capitals. Pillars are an original feature of stone architecture.

• Columns are supports with other types of cross-section. Mostly, they will have bases and capitals. They are derived from precursors in wooden architecture.

In stone buildings, pillars have been used sparingly, when compared to columns. In rock-cut tombs, pillars were more popular. This may be due to their suitability to carry reliefs and texts.

The following architectural elements have been added from time to time to pillars:

• a concave cornice

• a low  base

• an Osirian statue

• a royal statue

• or a Hathor pilaster.

Columns will typically have both a base and an abacus.

The following types of columns can be distinguished:

• vegetable types (columns in the form of papyrus, lotus, reeds or palm trees, as well as composite forms),

• non-vegetable figurative types (tent pole columns and Hathor columns),

• and geometric types (fluted, cylindrical, octagonal and polygonal).

The most common of the vegetable types (if not the most common of all) is the papyrus column. The frequent use of it in temples may have been prompted by the link that it provided with the papyrus swamp: the first landscape that emerged at the time of creation.

The photographs are arranged as follows:

1. Pillars 1
   * The valley temple of Chefren, Gizeh
   * The Osireion, Abydos
   * The "White Chapel" of Sesostris I, Karnak
    

2. Pillars 2
   * The festival temple of Amenhotep II, Karnak
   * The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahri
   * The mortuary temple of Ramesses III, Karnak
    

3. Papyrus columns 1: with open flower capital
   * The Colonnade of the Luxor temple
   * The kiosk of Taharqa, Karnak
   * The great hypostyle, middle nave, Karnak
    

4. Papyrus columns 2: with multiple buds capital
   * The bark station of Hatshepsut, Luxor temple
   * The open court of Amenhotep III, Luxor temple
    

5. Papyrus columns 3: with single bud capital
   * The great hypostyle, Karnak
   * The mortuary temple of Ramesses III, Medinet Habu
   * The Chonsu temple, Karnak
    

6. Columns with composite capitals
   * The Isis temple of Philae
   * The kiosk of Trajan, Philae
    

7. Tent pole columns
   * The festival temple of Tuthmosis III, Karnak
    

8. Hathor columns
   * The Hathor shrine at Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, Deir el Bahri
    

9. Geometric types 1: fluted
   * The Step Pyramid complex of Djoser, Saqqara
    

10. Geometric types 2: octagonal & polygonal
    * The mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, Deir el Bahri
    * The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahri
     

11. Purpose and meaning of papyrus columns
    * Temple wall of the Ptolemaic temple at Deir el Medineh
    * Longitudinal section of a temple (Medinet Habu)
    * Pointed leaves at the lower end of columns
    * The "papyrus forest" of Karnak.