Temple in Egypt a sanctuary
The "Temple in Egypt" scribal arch depicts a typical main temple, similar to those found on many Egyptian temple complexes from the period between 1550 and 1070 BC. There even seems to have been a so-called Book of the Temple, which describes the structure of the ideal temple and life in it. Complexes such as Philae and Edfu, which are still preserved today, were obviously based on this.
The temple is mainly divided into four sections: the gate building (pylon), the inner courtyard, the vestibule and the sacred area.
The gate building of the temple
The gate building consists of two towers flanking the actual portal. Depictions of Egyptian deities can be seen on the walls of the towers, as well as the masts with triangular flags. The portal led into the inner courtyard with its columns symbolizing the stems of plants. Reliefs can be seen on the walls.
- Difficulty level: easy - medium - challenging
- Scale: 1:300
- Dimensions: 46x20x19cm LxWxH
- Number of sheets: 6.5 A4 pages
The forecourt
The vestibule adjoins the forecourt. It was the entrance to the actual temple building and was divided into several rooms. One room housed the library. Another was used by the priests for ritual purification and to store objects for the sacred ceremonies. The offerings were prepared in other rooms.
Behind the vestibule was the sanctuary of the temple building. Only the priest responsible for the ceremony had access here. The main room of the sanctuary was surrounded by a colonnade, which probably housed altars for smaller deities. In the middle of the main room stood the so-called Holy Barque with a statue of the gods on a pedestal.
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