Ancient Egyptian civilization, which originated along the banks of the Nile many millennia ago, left us the richest monuments of material and spiritual culture. The architecture of ancient Egypt is striking in its monumentality, and the tombs of the pharaohs became the greatest monuments of the ancient world. Of all the historical and architectural splendor, we single out the majestic temples of Ancient Egypt, consider their features, tell about the history of the construction of temple complexes, their purpose and functioning.
Temple of Seti I
In the city of Abydos, during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I, the construction of his memorial temple began, and perhaps his son already completed the grandiose construction.
In one of the premises of the Network, he arranged a memorial hall for his father Ramses I, who during his life did not have time to build his own tomb. The entrance to the temple is decorated with beautiful columns, the capitals of which are made in the form of blooming papyrus buds.
In the photo: Hieroglyphs found in the temple have now moved to Karnak
The temple in Abydos is famous for the fact that it was in it that a list of all the reigning pharaohs of Ancient Egypt was found, from Menes, the founder of the first dynasty to Ramesses I.
Abu simbel
A sacred rock on the west bank of the Nile, in which, at the direction of Ramses II, two temples were carved directly into the rock. The beauty and grandeur of the temples testify to the unique technology and skill of Egyptian architects.
The first temple, dedicated to Ramses himself, is slightly larger in size, and an amazing scene is carved on its wall where Pharaoh Ramses worships the deity Ramses. Within the walls of Abu Simbel, worship was also held in honor of Aton and the god Ptah.
The second building was erected in honor of the first wife of the pharaoh, Queen Nefertari, and the goddess Hathor was worshiped in it.
Medinet Abu Complex
During the period of the New Kingdom, a new tradition arose in culture, namely, to erect memorial temples. They were built separately, and were not directly connected with the funeral complex of the pharaoh.
The first such temple was built by Ramses III on the west bank of the Nile, in the area of Medinet Abu, near the city of Luxor. The small memorial complex is surrounded by a wall with towers, and has become a vivid example of a memorial church of the rulers of the New Kingdom.
The Egyptians paid great attention to providing water, and a canal was dug to the majestic temple of Pharaoh, and there was even a pier near the walls of the temple.
Colossi of Memnon
At the place where the huge sculptural sculptures of the pharaoh Amenhotep III are now rising, there was a temple erected in honor of this ruler of the XVIII dynasty.
From the ancient temple, the entrance to which these two statues guarded, there was practically nothing left, and we can judge its monumentality only by the size of the sculptures.
Much later, colossi were named after the hero of the Trojan War, Memnon, whose name literally means "ruler of the morning dawn." The columns are badly damaged and require complete restoration.
Egyptian Temple of Hatshepsut
On three rocky terraces in the Deir al-Bahri Valley in the 15th century. BC. was built a majestic memorial temple of the famous Queen of Egypt Hapshesut.
It was erected by the Egyptian Senmouth, and it took 9 years to build a complex architectural structure, carved directly in the rocks. At that time, the cult building was a real masterpiece of architecture, on the sites of which lakes were located and trees grew.
The entrance to the temple was decorated with a portico, on both sides of which were statues of the queen herself with the heads of Osiris.
Edfu
The types of Egyptian temples changed over time, and already in the era of the late kingdoms began to build complex architectural structures. So the temple of Edfu, the start of construction of which began around 237 BC, became the second largest after Karnak.
The temple was erected in honor of the god Horus, whose statue is installed in the courtyard. The height of the pylons reaches 36 m, and 32 columns surround the courtyard.
Edfu's walls are decorated with scenes from ancient Egyptian myths, as well as dedications to the god Horus and the pharaohs.
Temples of Filet Island
The most beautiful island in the middle of the Nile was considered sacred among the Egyptians, because it was on it, according to legend, Osiris was buried. It was considered impregnable, since only dedicated priests had the right to be on it.
Religious buildings were built on the island. At the beginning of the 4th century BC, the first temple in honor of the goddess Hathor was erected by Pharaoh Nektaneb I. During the time of Emperor Trajan, the emperor’s famous kiosk was erected, which was probably the main entrance to the huge temple of Isis.
In addition, a pylon with a colonnade has been preserved on the wonderful island, but the large temple of the goddess Isis was practically not preserved.
Com ombo
A unique temple was built in the Nile Valley in the city of the ancient Nubit era, in which cults were worshiped by two ancient Egyptian deities.
A symmetrical temple was built for almost 150 years, from 180 to 47 BC, when Egypt was under the rule of the Ptolemies. The temple had two entrances, at which visitors were greeted by majestic sculptures of deities, on the right - the mighty Horus with the head of a falcon, and on the left stood the formidable Sebek with the head of a crocodile.
If we consider the architectural features of the structure, then these are, in fact, two temples that mirror each other.
Kalabsha Temple
During the period of Roman rule, around 30 AD, in honor of the Nubian sun god Mandulis, a large temple was built on the right bank of the sacred Nile.
It was a rather large structure, 22 meters wide and 76 meters long. The construction began under the reign of Emperor Octavian Augustus, but the architectural plan was never completed.
Like many architectural monuments of Ancient Egypt, the temple was transferred during the construction of the Aswan Dam.
Honsu
During the era of the New Kingdom, the reign of Ramses III began the construction of a small temple complex in honor of the Egyptian gods.
They completed construction already in the ancient period. Pharaoh Nektaneb I built a large hypostyle hall, and Ptolemy III built a huge gate near the temple, which time has preserved to this day.
The temple was rebuilt several times, and you can see the discrepancy of some architectural elements compared to the original plan.
Luxor Temple
In the southern part of Thebes, a magnificent temple was built in honor of the god Amun-Ra. In addition to the supreme deity of Ancient Egypt, they also worshiped the Queen of Heaven Mut and the son of Amon Khons. He became a vivid example of the architectural style of the New Kingdom.
The central part of the building was erected under the pharaoh Amenhotep III, and his followers completed the courtyard, surrounded by 74 clones. The building was the venue for the Opet festival, which gathered residents of Upper Egypt.
During the festivities, statues of deities were solemnly transferred from Karnak temples, which were connected by a cobblestone road to Luxor. Today, a visit to this place is an important part of tourist routes in Egypt.
Karnak Temple
Now, according to the preserved architectural elements, you can only imagine how powerful the temple was, built in honor of the ancient Egyptian triad of deities - Amon, Mut and Khons.
The Karnak temple complex was founded around 3200 BC, and it became the main sanctuary of the Egyptians. Each pharaoh considered it his highest duty to contribute to the architectural appearance of the temples. So, Pharaoh Iniothef I erected an octagonal column here, and Hapshesut created a separate sanctuary in honor of the goddess Mut.
The most significant structure of the complex is the temple of the god Amon-Ra, built by the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty.
It is difficult to describe the beauty of ancient Egyptian temples. The majestic and monumental religious buildings of the ancient Egyptians were intended for the gods, and were also erected to show the power of the state. All the rituals and rituals within the walls of these sacred places were performed by priests, and the word "temple" in Ancient Egypt was depicted with a hieroglyph, which literally meant "the house in which the gods live."
The temple complexes of Ancient Egypt have long been included in the treasury of world culture, becoming silent witnesses of history, which, however, can tell a lot about the distant past of mankind.
Article author: Valery Skiba