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  Ancient Egypt /
Culture
The main area for cultural expression in Ancient Egypt was architecture, represented by burial complexes and temples. These structures were adorned with colourful reliefs and statues.
The most famous forms of Ancient Egyptian architecture were pyramids, used to house the bodies of deceased kings (and sometimes even queens) and everything he needed in the afterlife. There are still 35 pyramids standing in an area starting just south of modern Cairo and ending less than 100 km south near Fayoum. The largest pyramids are found near Giza, where that of Khufu reaches an height of about 140 metres. The pyramids belong to a relatively short period of Egyptian history, peaking in the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE.
The pyramid era would be overlapped and eventually followed by the temple and burial chamber era. Great temples would remain the supreme form of Egyptian architecture right up until the decline of Ancient Egypt.
The temples were designed according to a consistent pattern, typically with an entrance (pylon), open forecourt(s), roofed hall and the inner sanctuary. The width narrowed the further one got into the temple, and only priests were allowed in the sanctuary. The temples are spread out over all of Ancient Egypt, but the greatest examples are found in southern Egypt, peaking with the temples around modern Luxor.
Paintings of Ancient Egypt, as seen mainly in the temples, were bright and colourful. The paintings presented both everyday life of the Egyptians, as well as ideas of life after death.
The art of sculpture was highly developed in the times of the Ancient Egyptians. The largest sculptures were sphinxes, of which a small number still exists. The largest is the one in front of the Pyramids of Giza, dating back 4,500 years in time.
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