|
|
INTRODUCTION
Ancient temples
At some time in Ancient Egypt's history temples seem to have replaced pyramids as the Egyptian pharaoh's preferred way of dealing with the gods. The oldest surviving temple of some size dates back to the 12th Dynasty, which also is the last dynasty to have built pyramids of some size.
In the eyes of the Egyptians, the temple was the house of the god or goddess. Hence the temple was not the place for a layman's worship, only the most prominent people were allowed into the first courtyards and hypostyle halls. The inner section, where the statue of the god lived, only the highest priests could enter.
So didn't the Egyptians build temples before the 12th dynasty? Well, they did, but not very large and impressive. The best architects and craftsmen were probably busy building pyramids. So, later pharaohs saw that they could do better, and old temples were torn down and replaced by the great structures that we can see now.
Some old temples are still standing. Most of them are found next to the pyramids, with which they formed a unity. But few offer much to see, but even if most of the walls and columns are gone, the ground tells you a bit about what it once looked like.
The grandest and most impressive temple is clearly the Temple of Amon at Karnak, which is the centre of a handful more temples. The best preserved temple is the Temple of Horus at Edfu.
OK, so almost all of the Egyptians were never allowed to enter the temple precincts. So what did they do for their religion? During annual festivals things did happen, and the statue of the god or goddess was taken out of the shrine, first carried out of the temple, and then transported on barks, often to another temple. Apart from that, a layman's religion dealt with deities of a much lesser setting than the great ones, deities fit to serve the needs of simple people. Small shrines were found all over every little village, people carried small amulets with them. To a large extent we may suggest that this form of religion was another religion than the one we can still see the monuments of. But very little has survived from the commoner's religion.
Today, the temples are open for anyone with a valid ticket. A lot has survived the thousands of years, but one item is gone in most cases: The roof. What appears today as open air shrines, was once clad in darkness, lit by a torches. The shrine, the true domain of the god or goddess was perhaps only lit by a single torch. All recreating that a temple was not only a processional way into the holy, also a climb into the underworld.
The main station for exploring Egypt's fantastic temples is Luxor. Within a few kilometres a great selection of temples can be found, while the temples north and south of Luxor is more awkward to reach. Due to security issues, anyone travelling as far north as Abydos or south as Edfu must travel in a "convoy". With a convoy a lot of time is lost, and too little time is allowed in the sites themselves.
|
|
