Temple Architecture of Egypt

 

Background

Egyptian architecture developed into the banks of the Nile river. The temples built by Egyptians were gigantic with flat surface. They are rectangular in form. Reliefs and inscriptions are the only decorations which are carved. Temples were built in grand scale. The front wall consisted of massive sloping towers together called pylon with a door between the. The door gave entrance to a huge unroofed court, bordered on two or three sides by colonnades. Here the public assembled for worship. Beyond the court was hypostyle hall and past the hall was sanctuary of the god. Only priest and pharaoh were allowed to enter the sanctuary. There were many variation of this plan.

Introduction

Egyptian temples developed and flourished according to the increasing requirement of powerful priesthood or to satisfy the pious ambition of the successive kings. Egyptian monumental architecture is especially found to be in columnar and trabeated style. Egyptian temples are approached by avenues of sphyinxes-mythical monsters. Temples consists of great courts, hypostyle halls, inner sanctuaries and secret room in their massive pylons. Unlike the Greek temples Egyptian temples were collection of successive buildings diminishing in height behind their imposing pylons.

Development of Egyptian temples

The stages of development of Egyptian temples are difficult to trace. Initially sanctuary and attendant apartments were being built in stone at the beginning of the eighteenth dynasty, but later in the new kingdom influx of wealth and universal spread of favored cults brought the cults temples into full flower. By this time mortuary and cults temples had most features in common. An impressive axial gateway to the court was traditional. Temple services were held thrice daily, in the cult temples, processions were a feature particularly during the periodic festivals. So, free circulation was made through or around the sanctuary.  

Egyptian temple were especially of two types

1. Mortuary temple

2. Cult temple

Mortuary temple

Mortuary temples were developed from the offering chapels of the royal mastabas and pyramid. In the middle kingdom when royal burials were began to be made in the hillside they became architecturally more important of two elements and in the new kingdom they stood quite detached from the then customary corridor tomb. Then after their special character tended to merge to that of cult temple and distinction between to the two types was eventually lost.

Cult temple

Cult temples were developed for the worship of local deities. The original requirements were a rectangular palisade court entered through a narrow way flanked by poles and having centrally within emblem of deity. Most of the early temples were made in sun dried bricks but when the wealth was increased they used stone instead of brick for cult temple construction.

Famous Egyptian Temples 

1. Temple of Khons Karnak

It is a cult temple characterized by entrance pylons, court hypostyle halls, sanctuary and various chapels. Entrance pylons are fronted by Obelisks. The portal on the open court surrounded on three side by a double colonnade leads to the hypostyle hall to which light was admitted by clerestory. The temple was protected by the great wall of the same height as the halls themselves and like them wall decreased in height towards the sanctuary end.

2. The Temple of Mentuhetep

It is a mortuary temple directly related to a corridor tomb. It is terraced in two main levels at the base of cliffs. On the upper terrace a small completely solid pyramid is wholly surrounded by a walled hypostyle hall. In the backside of the temple is another pillared hall recessed into the rock face, preceded by an open court from the centre of the ramp which leads down to the Menetuhetep’s 1525 long corridor tomb. Like the old kingdom pyramid this temple had a causeway, shielded by walls, leading down to a valley building three quarter of a mile away.

3. The Temple of Hatshepsut

This was a Mortuary temple, dedicated to Amun and other gods. A processional way of sphinxes connected the temple with the valley. The terraced approached by the ramps are in three levels; mounting toward s the base of cliffs, their faces lined with double colonnade flanked on the left by the queens mortuary and on the right by the minor court containing an enormous altar to the sun god Ra. The chief sanctuary lies axially in the rear of the upper court cut deep into the rock. The wall reliefs in this temple are exceptionally fine.

4. The Great Temple of Amun Karnak

This is grand of all the temples. This was not built upon one complete plan. It is the result of disposition and magnificence to the work of many kings. Originally it consisted of a modest shrine constructed early in the middle kingdom. The temple had six pairs of pylons, added by successive rulers and consists of various courts and halls leading to the sanctuary the roof made of huge slab of stone is supported by 134 columns in 16 rows.

The method of clerestory lighting was used. The walls, columns shafts and architraves give the name and work of the royal person who contributed to its grandeur.

5. Temples of Luxor Thebes 

Like most temples it was altered and repaired subsequently. But most construction was done by Amenophis but great forecourt with pylons was added by Rameses. It was dedicated to the Theban triad, Amun, Mut and Khons.

6. Temple island of Elephantine 

This was sanctuary perpetuating the tradition of the divine birth of Pharaoh from a union of  the god Horus and mortal mother. The birth house comprises a single room or light room surrounded by portico of pillars or columns and sometimes stands on raised podium. However design for external effect is not typical of external building.

7. Temple of Seti I, Abydos

This temple has two pylons, two forecourts and hypostyle halls and is unique in having seven sanctuaries side by side each roofed with stone corbelled course cut into the shape of segmental arch on the underside. Another unusual feature of the temple is wing of chambers projecting at right angles to the main structure. The reliefs on the walls of the close-grained limestone are the finest in Egypt.

8. Great temple, Abu-Simbel

It is a rock hewn temple. An entrance forecourt leads to the imposing façade formed as a pylon immediately in front of which are four rock cut seated colossal statues of Rameses. The hall above 9m has eight osiris pillars and vividly colored wall relief. The temple had been moved from its original site on the Nile to the higher level.

9. Temple of Isis, on the Island of Philae 

This temple is irregular in plan. It has progressive concentration of effect from outer and inner courts and pylons ultimately to the inner sanctuary in the temple nucleus. Column capitals are coarser and more ornate, varied in design from column to column. The two portals axial on the short side are designed without the central part to the lintels so as to permit the passage of banners carried in procession.

10. Temple of Horus, Edfu

This temple is example of well preserved temple. It was built in three stages. It is a processional cult temple. There is a passage surrounding the sanctuary which serves as way to thirteen small chapels. All the inner room is completely dark and windowless. The main temple demonstrates the tenacity of the ancient traditions. There are those distinctive features of the period which are notable in the hypostyle hall.

11. The Temple of Hathor Dendera

It is most imposing temple standing in the brick walled temnos 280m wide. The hypostyle hall was added to the Ptolemaic nucleus in the roman times alon with peripheral wall which stand sufficiently clear of the temple to allow complete processional circuit. Many narrow chambers are concealed in the thickness of the massive outer walls, and stairs lead to the roof where ceremonies took place.

12. Rammesseum, Thebes 

It is a type of mortuary temple. In this temple the pharaoh was worshipped and offerings were made, while his tomb lay far in the mountains behind. The front pylons were 67m wide and led to the columned courts. The second having Osiris pillars on the front and rear walls; and so to grand hypostyle halls, succeeded by three smaller columned halls, which preceded the sanctuary at the far end of the building. There are no arrangements of circulation around the temple.

13. Small temple, Abu-Simbel

This temple is dedicated to the Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. The façade is 27.4m wide and 12.4m high and comprises six niches recessed in the face of the rock containing six colossal statues which represent Rameses and Nefertari.

Main features of Egyptian Temple Architecture

1. Loggia- A gallery behind an open arcade or colonnade.

2. Parapet- Portion of the wall above the roof gutter, also on balconies, platform.

3. Pylon- Term applied to the mass of masonry with central openings, forming a monumental entrance to the Egyptian temples

4. Hypostyle Hall- A pillared hall in which the roof rest on the columns.

5. Clearstory- An upper stage in the building with windows above adjacent roofs, specially applied to these features in church.

Conclusion

The creation of temples was an important development in Egyptian religion. These temples were especial buildings designed not only for sacred rituals but also as a sacred space separated from the rest of the polis. Egyptian people believed in god. Their life was dominated by religion so it is not surprising that temples of Egypt were biggest and most beautiful. They also had a purpose as they were often built to separate civic power and pride or offer thanks giving to the patron deity of a city for success in war.