Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/154

15. Pictures. These are chiefly affixed to the screens. They are executed in the stiff Byzantine style. Some appear to be of considerable antiquity.

16. Triangles and brazen cymbals used in chanting the services.

17. Immense wooden chairs used by the Bishop or as a stand for the Evangelisterion.

18. Ancient Arabic glass lamps. Not more than two or three of these now remain, and these specimens are of plain white or blue glass.

19. Standing candlesticks of large size of wood, iron, and brass.

20. Crowns of silver used to place upon the heads of the bride and bridegrooms at weddings.

21. Silver ornaments in the shape of rounded fans, generally embossed with the figures of Cherubs or Saints. Small tapers are sometimes stuck upon them during Divine Service.

I now proceed to speak in detail of the Dayrs as they occur, beginning at the end next Cairo.

I. Dayr Mari Meena. This Convent is situated a little way outside the city gate, near the beginning of the Mounds of Fostat. It contains an ancient church dedicated to S. Menas, a saint who flourished at the beginning of the fourth century. The chief Convent which bore his name, which is interesting as recording that of the first recorded King of Egypt, was at Alexandria, where to this day, as also in other places in Egypt, terra-cotta bottles are frequently found bearing the name and effigy of the Saint. In the Church of Mari Meena is a very curious ancient brass candlestick in the form of two dragons with retorted heads, and with the tails meeting and intertwined in the centre. Seventeen candles were placed in holders attached to the heads and along the back of the dragons. The pulpit is a good specimen of Opus Alexandrinum, executed in antique marbles. In this Church may still be found suspended in situ, and still in use, an ancient Arabic glass lamp of plain blue glass. Attached to the south aisle of the nave is another Church or chapel, for long in the occupation of the community of Syrian Christians, but now again, in consequence of their diminished numbers, restored to the Copts.

Hard by is an Armenian burial-ground and Church,