Ceiling decorations at the Hathor temple. Dendera, Egypt

"Temple decoration was carved in both raised (bas) and sunk (en creux) relief, as seen in this example. The more time-consuming raised relief was often reserved for inner surfaces, while incised carving was often used on outer surfaces where shadows helped define its forms in bright sunlight. The ceiling of the hall retains much of its original colour, however, and is decorated as a complex and carefully aligned symbolic chart of the heavens, including signs of the zodiac and images of the sky-goddess Nut who swallows the sun disc each evening in order to give birth to it at dawn." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.