13 Chapter 3.6: Egyptian Tombs

File:Penmaat Priest Book of the Dead.jpg
Priest burning incense, from the Book of the Dead of Penmaat, c. 950 B.CE. Ink and paint on papyrus. Public Domain.

EGYPTIAN TEMPLES

In the New Kingdom Egyptian Pharaohs contributed to the construction of monumental temples to the gods. The most significant temple complexes are sprawling and consist of many different buildings. Similar to their art, Egyptian architecture possesses specific qualities that persisted through the centuries. The basic plan of a temple was repeated over and over in many different contexts.

Painting of a bull on a platform. The bull has a yellow disk and a pair of feathers between its horns.
Coffin painting of Apis, an an Egyptian Deity associated with courage and strength. C. 11th century B.C.E. Public Domain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before and After

It’s easy to think of ancient Egypt as being a brown, dull-looking place, if we only look at the surviving ruins.  In reality, though, ancient Egyptians loved bright colors.  The two images below depict the columns of a temple as they appear today, and how a similar temple might have appeared when it was still in use.

File:Karnak Temple Interior.jpg
Columns at Karnak Temple, c. 2000 B.C.E. Credit: F. Malotaux. CC BY-SA 2.5.
Egypt, Temple, Columns, Hieroglyphs
A depiction of how an ancient Egyptian temple would have looked at the time. Public Domain.

Egyptian temples TASK:

The source(s) in this section describe the function and architectural features of Egyptian temples. After watching the videos, please respond to the accompanying questions.

The Temples of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian temples TASK prompt: 

What development in temples took place in the Old Kingdom?

What were the components of the classic Egyptian New Kingdom temple?

What was king’s role relative to the temples and how was his authority asserted there?

What made the temple a hub for the common people?

How were the statues in the courtyard used?

What activities took place at the outer temple precinct?

Why did the ceiling lower and the floor raise moving back to the inner sanctuary?

Name one symbol in the temple that referred to the world’s creation myth.

How was the journey of the sun referenced?

What effect was created as one passed through the temple?

What activities did the high priest perform (name one ritual)?

 

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Survey of Western Art History I Copyright © 2022 by Amy Morris is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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