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For most of ancient
Egyptian history, there existed a
polytheistic religion in Egypt where
individuals were free to worship any god
or goddess they chose. In most cases
multiple deities were worshipped. Some
gods and goddesses enjoyed fame
throughout Egypt while others were
limited to worship in select cities and
villages. Each town had a patron god and
a temple dedicated to that deity. An
order of high priests oversaw the
temple, the rites and the daily
activities associated with the temples.
Due to the lack of wood, in ancient
Egypt temples were constructed of stone.
The only other building material that
was readily available was mud brick,
which was known to crumble after just a
few years. The temples built to house
the gods were required to last for
eternity and therefore stone was the
only other viable choice.
Inside these ancient Egyptian
temples, there existed a segregated
system of sanctuaries. The
sanctuaries were divided by the
spiritual level of the persons allowed
to enter them. Those who had not yet
reached a spiritual worthiness were not
allowed to enter the innermost chambers.
In ancient Egypt temples there was also
sometimes an exterior complex comprised
of gardens and courtyards.
Through the years in ancient Egypt
temples served a variety of purposes.
Without a doubt, it appears that the
primary purpose of most temples in
ancient Egypt was to house and care for
the gods to which they were dedicated.
It seemed the very existence and good
fortune of the entire land of Egypt
rested upon tending the gods. The worst
fate that could befall a city was
failing to care for the temple of the
patron god. A god who lacked attention
would become angry and flee the temple,
leaving the citizens of that town open
to all kinds of disasters.
Beyond serving the needs of the god
who resided in the temple, some temples
also served other purposes. No king
could rule the Egyptian nation without
first becoming a god. In an elaborate
ceremony the new pharaoh would enter the
temple, along with the high priests.
Once inside the most exclusive chambers
of the temple, rites would be performed
which would transform the mere mortal
pharaoh into a deity to be revered and
worshipped by the Egyptian people. Still
yet, some temples in Egypt were reserved
for the worship of the king, who was
also considered a deity, after his
death.
The temple in Deir El Bahari
The wealth and sophistication in
design of the temples in ancient Egypt
vary greatly. The Temple of Karnak at
Luxor and the Temple of Deir El Bahari
are two of the most well known ancient
Egypt temples.
Today, the remains of some ancient
Egyptian temples are nothing more than
crumbled ruins. Other ancient Egypt
temples have stood the test of time
and rise up alongside modern apartment
complexes and shopping centers; a
testament to the fact that much of the
ancient world is still a tremendous part
of modern Egypt. |
