Ancient Egyptian temples: description, history and photos

The majestic pyramids of Giza, hidden from the extraneous eyes of the tomb of the Valley of the Kings, are not the only monuments of civilization that once flourished along both banks of the Nile. Along with the necropolis of great interest and the ancient Egyptian temples. The names and photos of the most representative buildings we will put in this article.

But first you need to understand the concept of the temple in ancient Egypt. It was not a church in the modern sense of the word - a room serving for the meeting of believers and for establishing the soul's contact with God. No, the temple was a house, rather, a palace. Here lived a certain God, as a rich man dwells in his mansions. He had his servants - the priests. Every day they, after completing the rite of purification, dressed the statue of God, lit censers and incense before it, sacrificed according to the calendar. Only priests could enter the temple - and no one else. Sometimes God left the palace to visit one of his relatives. He traveled in a boat (ark), which was carried in tow by ordinary ships. Only then could a simple people contemplate their god.

Development of sacral architecture

As you know, the history of Ancient Egypt has several long periods - kingdoms. Temple architecture developed gradually. It largely depended on religious views, which have also undergone changes for centuries. Unfortunately, the temples were rebuilt in accordance with the new concept, and only constructions relating to the New Kingdom reached us. Memorial temples of the Ancient Age are also well preserved. But they are dedicated to the posthumous cult of the pharaohs and are adjacent to their pyramid tombs. Here we will consider the ancient Egyptian temples of the New Kingdom. This is the abode of the eternal God. Such a temple has its own concept and, accordingly, its own architecture. The "palace" of God meant premises for officialdom and private, private quarters. The latter could include only selected priests, who underwent thorough purification (ablution, depilation of hair, adoption of soda). God dwelt in an inner room without windows. That is, it was hidden from the eyes of people.

The Palace of God in 3000 BC. E.

Five thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptian temples (the photo represents the memorial shrine of Khafre) had the form of a giant parallelepiped with inclined outer walls and crowning their cornice. It was a real royal palace with spacious interior rooms, located along the main axis. These were ceremonial halls and reception rooms, where God listened to requests. Further, behind the vestibule and rooms for storing offerings, were the rooms of the "master of the house". The immediate sanctuary of the god was located in the center. He was surrounded by four or six main chapels. Nearby were sacristies and other rooms for ritual services. The main halls were divided into large columns for two or three naves. The roof itself was not. In fact, these were courtyards with porticos.

Ancient Egyptian temples of the Middle Kingdom

Starting with Thutmose I and especially the pharaoh-woman Hatshepsut (1505-1484 BC) the planning of the sanctuaries changes. A characteristic feature of the temples of the Middle Kingdom is the monumentality of the halls leading to the holy of holies. The contrast with the small closet is simply stunning. In this room stood a refined ark. Massive walls of ancient temples have replaced many sacristies and chapels. But the main innovation was the extraordinary wealth of paintings. They covered columns, ceiling, walls, floor. As a typical example of sacral architecture of the time, one can name the ancient Egyptian temples in Karnak (Amon-Ra) and Dair el-Bahri (the sanctuary of Queen Hatshepsut). Interior and paintings emphasize the function of each room. And the temple itself appears as a synthesis of the cosmos and god. The floor is the earth, the ceiling painted by stars - the sky, capitals columns - flowers, on architrave it is possible to see fairy birds.

Temple in 1500 BC. E.

Gradually, the lay faithful began to join in the worship. Naturally, they were not allowed into the "holy of holies" and even to the temple. But in the planning of the sacred buildings from 1500 BC, there is an innovation - one or more yards, framed by a colonnade. There were simple people allowed to participate in religious ceremonies. So what were the temples of the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt? Where were they located? They stretch along the whole Nile - from Abu Simbel in the upper reaches to Abydos (north of modern Luxor). Each nom (region) had its god-patron (or the hypostasis of Amon-Ra). Therefore, the ancient Egyptian temples of the name were appropriate: Osiris, Hator, Isis, Khnum, Thoth, Nehbet, Horus, Sebek. Separately, we should mention the sanctuaries of the pharaohs, who were also considered gods: Ramses II, Seti I, Thutmose III and others.

Plan of the Ancient Egyptian Temple of the New Kingdom

Consider it in the classic example of the Karnak sanctuary of Amun. The temple was to have access to the river. For this, a channel broke out from the Nile. It ended at the very temple with a small rectangular pier where there was a moored richly decorated boat. Egyptian gods had a large family, which they visited in their "dwellings" for birthdays. From the embankment there was a "procession road". She was framed by sphinxes or statues of a god who appears in the hypostasis of a sacred animal. Pylons were the facades that preceded the Egyptian temples. The photo shows a massive structure of stone with slightly inclined walls. It repeats the hieroglyph "horizon". At sunrise, the sun appeared just between the towers of the pylon. Its walls were richly decorated. Up to now, holes for the flagpole have been preserved. Behind the pylon was a rectangular courtyard enclosed by a wall. Throughout its perimeter there were columns supporting a narrow discontinuous roof, which served as a protection not from the rain, but from the sun. After passing the courtyard, the man got into the column hall. Round pillars supporting the roof were stylized under the thicket of papyrus. At the far end of the hall was a sanctuary. On a cubic stand in a small room with a low ceiling rested portable rook. Here God dwelt.

Around the temple

The adjoining territory inside the outer walls (temenos) was also considered a saint. There were auxiliary rooms there. These could be rooms for those who came to "visit" the gods and for their ark. Warehouses for offerings, religious objects occupied not one room. Finally, there were small rooms for the priests, where they underwent the procedures for cleansing their bodies before entering the sanctuary. The temples of Egypt of the New Kingdom always had a sacred lake on their territory. It served to purify the priests. According to the beliefs, the sun god Heprey every morning rose refreshed from the lake to follow the sky. In addition to this pond there were wells. Ancient Egyptian temples, the names and photos of which we here brought, had on the wharf a special room - a berth for the boat. When the ark with God carried on their shoulders priests from the sanctuary, they made a stop in this small chapel with two entrances.

Obelisks and Colossi

The temples of Egypt often had additional elements located beyond the fence of the temenos. Sometimes before the sanctuary put the colossus. These are giant pair statues of the pharaohs who built this or that temple. Remarkable here are the colossi of Memnon. The sanctuary itself is not preserved - only two statues of Amenhotep III rise to this day. If the temple was dedicated to the sun, obelisks were installed in front of its entrance - also usually in pairs.

The Ptolemaic Age and the Roman Period

How amazing these ancient Egyptian temples are: how many years they served as a dwelling of the gods and did not yield to any changes, or even conquests. When the Roman Empire absorbed these lands in terms of religious worship, little has changed. Quite the contrary. Roman emperors began to wear cartouches with hieroglyphs, the cult of Osiris becomes one of the state in the empire. However, there is also interpenetration of cultures. Religious views are developing, and gradually humanity comes to the worship of one God.