Famous Temples of Ancient Egypt

Karnak

The largest and one of the most popular ancient Egyptian temples is the Temple of Karnak. Senusret I, a Pharaoh, founded it in 3200 BC. For more than three millennia during the history of Ancient Egypt, the temple was being added to. A total of 30 different pharaohs contributed to the building of the temple. In the ancient city of Thebes, which is now inside the contemporary Egyptian city of Luxor, Karnak is situated in southern Egypt.

The temple was created to serve as a home for the god Amun, his wife Mut, and his son Khonsu. The Hypostyle Hall is Karnak’s most well-known area. The 50,000 square foot hall is supported by 134 enormous stone columns. The 12 central columns stand 70 feet tall! Around 1290 BC, Pharaoh Seti I constructed the hall.

Luxor

The Luxor Temple can be found in Luxor, Egypt, about a mile and a half south of Karnak. It is situated on the Nile River’s east bank. Around 1400 BC, the temple was constructed for the god Amun, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu. The Opet festival was held in the temple each year. The Amun statue will be paraded from the Karnak Temple to Luxor during this celebration.

The Avenue of the Sphinx, an obelisk made of red granite that stands 80 feet tall, and the huge statues of Pharaoh Ramesses II are all features of the Luxor Temple. Two obelisks stood at Luxor once, but one is currently in Paris, France.

Abu Simbel

On Egypt’s southern border lie the Abu Simbel temples. They were initially erected as a memorial to Ramesses II, the Pharaoh, and Queen Nefertari. Built between 1264 BC and 1244 BC, the temples. In 1968, they were moved in order to prevent flooding from the Aswan Dam.

At Abu Simbel, there are two temples. Originally, they were carved out of solid rock. The four enormous sculptures of Ramesses II that guard the entrance to the greater of the two temples are its claim to fame. The temple is over 100 feet tall overall, and each figure is 65 feet tall.

Temple of Edfu

In the Egyptian city of Edfu, the Temple of Edfu is situated on the west bank of the Nile. It was built between 237 BC and 57 BC under the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Horus, the falcon god, had a temple built in his honor.

The Hatshepsut Temple

Around 1470 BC, the female pharaoh Hatshepsut constructed a mortuary temple. This temple’s design is regarded as distinctive and a turning point in Egyptian architectural history. The temple was devoted to Amun-Ra, the solar god. It is situated close to the Valley of the Kings, northeast of the Egyptian city of Luxor.

The Philae Temples

On an island in the Nile River, the Temples of Philae were constructed. The Pharaohs, the Greeks, and the Romans constructed a variety of temples on the island over a long period of time. The goddess Isis is honored in the island’s principal shrine.

Kom-Ombo

Southern Egypt’s Kom Ombo town is home to the Kom Ombo temple. It was constructed between 180 BC and 47 BC under the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus shared the southern and northern halves of the temple, respectively.

Temple of Seti I

Around 1280 BC, the Pharaoh Seti I had a mortuary temple constructed for him. It is situated in the Egyptian city of Abydos. Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah are just a few of the six Egyptian deities whose shrines are housed in this “L”-shaped structure. A temple to the deified Seti I is also present.