The Temples in Egypt
Writing
an introduction to ancient Egypt temples is considerably more difficult
then examining any specific structure for a number of different
reasons. First,
the word " temple " is misleading, and secondly, the term covers a
wide variety of different structures that have evolved over a vast
period of time that many people are struggling to understand just how this time period spans.
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| Ancient Thebes |
For example , consider the Coliseum in Rome (Rome). There are nearly 2000 years , and most of us think that it is very old. However,
when the Romans arrived in Egypt, they were struck by fear Egyptian
temples , some of which at the time were already more ancient Romans and
the Colosseum in Rome is for us. We must therefore consider the effect that these temples were the ancient Egyptians. Imagine the feelings of tradition and holiness felt by a young priest when he first between Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome. How
should a young Egyptian priest felt like he was walking in the courts
of most temple of Heliopolis , who was much older then him Saint -Pierre
is a young priest today .Webster's New World Dictionary defines temple as " 1. A building for the worship of the god or gods, and 2. A large building for a special purpose . " For the second definition , they offer the example, a" temple of art . " None
of these definitions fit the great ancient Egyptian temple , and yet
almost every religious structure in Egypt out of different types of
tombs are almost always called temples.While some of these structures "temple" Do you embrace both definitions Webster. In
fact, it is difficult to imagine any more grand old building not under
the second definition , including palaces and government buildings. However, modern readers are more likely to think in terms of the first definition, that a temple is a place of worship. However,
this definition is simply too small to accommodate even the structures
that many modern Egyptologists best defined as a "house of God." Even
these temples sometimes had many other functions , sometimes acting as
fortresses, administrative centers and even concrete expression of
propaganda or royal retreats. However,
it is difficult to define other religious structures that are called
temples as places of worship or " houses of God ". They may have different policies or objectives different.It was the ancient Egyptian temple which has received grants. It
was the mortuary temple and the cult of the dead king who funded the
entire pyramid complex of the early kings , for example. Temples
owned land, livestock and donations, including sometimes the spoils
of war to often support large populations of priests, workers and even
an entire city support.
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| The Karnak Temple in Luxor |
The temple of Karnak today remains the largest religious structure of the
worlds, but what is perhaps even more interesting is that it was not ,
or was unlikely largest temple Egypt. While the temple of Ptah at Memphis, but for the most part completely gone now , maybe more . He was older , and located in what was often the capital of Egypt , and usually the administrative center of the old country. Other temples in the Nile Delta could just as large as Karnak, if not more.Sites such as Karnak, Dendera and Kom Ombo probably fall into the category of " house of God." They were more " temples " religious however . While
God can certainly worshiped in these temples , it was also the symbolic
home, if it is not considered his physical residence and functions of
the temple were to serve as its symbolic physical needs as they were for
the worship of the god. There
was probably little or no " preaching " as such , or the message of God
to the people by priests associated with these "temples" . Instead, efforts were directed inward , toward the care of the gods.Also,
although we are often very specific distention between mortuary temples
of kings, for example, and Karnak temples as they were in fact very
similar. Kings were considered gods , and after their death, they need a " mansion " and the same attention as the other gods . Temples at regular times and mortuary were used to keep the name of the king or living god.
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| A temple on the west bank of Luxor |
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| Temple of Dendera |
The
real distinction, religiously, seems to be regarding the structures
that could not be so easily defined as " houses of God ". The Temple of Nefertari at Abu Simbel was certainly dedicated to the goddess Hathor, it seems . But it also seems to be a situation where a "house of God " was built as much for political reasons than for religious reasons. These
great monuments of Abu Simbel, consisting of his temple, and the
largest temple of her husband, Ramses II, were not only the temples. They were also reminders of the greatness of Egypt to its southern neighbors . Other structures barely fit in the category " The mansion of God" at all . For
example, Temples Sed- festival celebrating the jubilee of King seem to
have a completely different effect that " houses of God", and ka
Temples provided a residence not to the dead king, but his soul.However, for convenience, we refer to the most religious structures other than tombs temples elsewhere in this reference.Temples of the dynastic era can be found throughout Egypt , but those who have survived time are mostly in the south. They were built for many different forms of worship , and other purposes. Some were large temples dedicated to the major deities , while others were devoted to a number of different deities . Some
were mortuary temples , where the temple was dedicated to the deified
king died , and he was venerated and supported by his worship. There
were also temples of the valley, which were often no more than
monumental gates connected to the mortuary chapel of the king by a
causeway. There
were all kinds of specialized temples , such as the temples Sed-
festival, ka temples , temples of the sun , temples and other coronation
.Many temples of Egypt became complex systems of buildings, added to generations of pharaohs over sometimes thousands of years. These temples are those of Luxor and Karnak , but others long destroyed , as the temple of Ptah. In
fact, there are a number of temples in the North , although long gone,
that would have rivaled the southern temples we visit most often today.Most temples have some sort of organized structure that has evolved into a floor plan so few traditional variety. For example, the funerary temple of the 5th Dynasty kings always had an outdoor section and a sanctuary. The outer section , consisting of an entrance hallway , followed by a courtyard open columns. Often
, the pillars were inscribed with the name and title of the king of the
north and columns have oriented symbolic gods of northern Egypt scenes,
with a similar arrangement of the columns of the south. Various
small additional rooms may also exist in the outer section , including ,
for example, an entrance vestibule or a guard. Between
the outer temple and the inner part there was usually a transverse
corridor, and in the center of the length, the west wall , a door ahead
of the sanctuary whose front consists of a chapel with five niches statues. Behind
the chapel is a lobby offers marked by a false door on the west wall
facing the pyramid, and the front door, offering altar. In the inner sanctum there could also be additional rooms, such as hallways and lobbies. Associated
with both the outer and inner sections of the temple would be storage
and other supporting one side or the two main components of the temple.Non mortuary temples often also had courses , chapels, offering halls, lobbies, vestibules , as mortuary temples. They
tend to vary widely in style and elements, though temples built for
specific gods tend to be more uniform (but not always). One
of the main differences between mortuary temples and others, is that
the non- mortuary temples were often added to , built upon and even
usurped by various kings . Although
in rare cases a mortuary temples , like that of Djoser at Saqqara ,
became places of great sanctity, and were built on later kings, most
mortuary temples were never added or usurped. They most often were much simpler than the large non mortuary temples .Temples
last took the form of fortresses, with massive towers and the entrance
walls , spacious courtyards, halls columns or pillars and inner
sanctuaries.
