Egyptian Temples

Egyptian Temples

• Facts and information about Egyptian Temples

• Famous Ancient Egyptian Temples

• List of Famous Ancient Egyptian Temples

• Location of Temples in Egypt

• List of Names of Temples in Egypt

• The Pharaoh builders of the ancient Temples in Egypt

• Names of the Egyptian Gods who the Temples in Egypt were dedicated to

Egyptian Temples

Egyptian Temples
Ancient Egyptian Temples were believed to be the dwelling places of the Egyptian Gods. Only the Pharaoh and the Priests were allowed inside the temples and the priests would undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the Inner Sanctum of the Temples. This not only cleansed them but also gave them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temples to pay homage and offer gifts to the Gods. The Priests would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the confines of the temples. The priests would conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes referred to as spells. The temples would consist of heavy gates which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be burnt to purify the air of the Temples. The chambers gradually decreased in size, the lighting in the temples was deliberately and significantly reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed a great statue to the god to whom the temple was dedicated.

Famous Ancient Egyptian Temples
The most famous Ancient Egyptian Temples include the following:

• Luxor - The Temple of Luxor built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II dedicated to the gods Amun Ra and Horus

• West bank of Luxor - the temple at Deir el Bahari - The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut was built by the Great Steward of Amun who was called Sennemut dedicated to the god Amun

• Karnak - The most famous temple at Karnak is the Temple of Amun. Originally the temples at Karnak and Luxor were connected with a two-mile avenue of sphinxes

• Abu Simbel - The most famous temples at Abu Simbel are the Temples of Ramses and Nefertiti

• Agilika Island - Temples of Philae built by the Ptolemaic pharaohs
  Edfu - The Temple of Horus built by the Ptolemaic pharaohs and dedicated to the god Horus

• Kom-Ombo - The Temple of Kom-Ombo built by Ptolemy VI dedicated to the god Sobek

List of Famous Ancient Egyptian Temples
The following list of Ancient Egyptian Temples contains details of the temple, the Pharaoh builders and the gods who were worshipped at them.

Egyptian Temples
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