The axial passageway portal viewed from the entrance doorway.
The temple has been constructed to have
solar alignments, on the equinox sunrises the sun shines through the entrance
doorway and down the axial passage to the altar. At midwinter solstice the
rising sun illuminates the upper right corner
of the large upright slab on the far right, and at midsummer solstice, the edge
of the large slab far left. The significance
of these slabs and the portal structure is emphasised by the elaborate pitted
decoration on their surfaces, this decoration
is extended to the left to cover the elements of the porthole doorway into the
left inner apse. The two horizontal slabs
either side of the portal uprights are sometimes referred to as "slab
altars", although it is not clear if they served as such,
all of the other "altars" in the temples are elevated on pedestals.
The two outer apses of the temple lie right
and left of this shot and the passageway leads through to the axial altar.
The inner apses let off the passageway just inside the portal, the left apse
showing a complex screen and altar
structure, this apse is accessible from the outer apse via the porthole doorway
which can just be glimpsed extreme left.