Screen walls on the south side of the birth house of Ptolemy VIII for Horus-Hathor-Harsomtus. Idfū, Egypt

"The site of ancient Djeba (Arabic Edfu) was the traditional location of the mythological battle between the gods Horus and Seth; and its sandstone Ptolemaic temple, dedicated to Horus, is the most complete and best preserved of all the temples in Egypt. It was evidently begun by Ptolemy III in 237 BC and completed 180 years later in 57 BC." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. "The lower part of intercolumniations of kiosks, pronaoi, and birth house (Arabic mammisi) were closed by screen walls, resulting in a building form that became a trademark of late Egyptian architecture. The screen walls were generally only half as thick as the columns; the front face was always topped by a cavetto. According to their protective function, screen walls were ideally surmounted by an uraeus frieze. The rectangular, upright front of the wall offered a welcome surface for decoration and inscription with subjects concerning the exterior of a temple such as purification scenes." [Arnold D., 1999: Temples of the Last Pharaohs. Oxford University Press]. 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.