There was saved of informations about egyptian temples of times very little. Which about reach up to us is informed on the first temples, information during an Ancient Empire the following is known. The temples were under construction on one sample. At first, the temple as such did not exist generally. There were so-called solar temples. They were named on any other business - Horizon Ra, Sufficing Ra etc. On specially constructed to extensive terrace was raised on a huge pedestal high obelisk, covered above gold copper. Before obelisk stood huge altar. The obelisk, altar and part of enclosing space were enclosed with a wall covered inside and outside with diverse images. Behind this wall the various office accommodations placed. A subject of a cult was itself obelisk, personification of the sun. All sacred rituals were made under the open sky.
During a New empire occur a new kind of a temple. In the plan it had a prolated rectangle. The plot occupied in a temple, was enclosed by a massive wall, to which gate the broad road filled till both parties with statues of sphinxs conducted from Nile. The entrance in a temple was made out as a narrow door between two high monumental by towers, which sloping walls were narrowed down up and terminated in an eaves. Such registration of a facade was usually named as a pylon (on Egypt - bechen). To the outside party of a pylon the high wooden masts with flags were attached, and before it were erected obelisks and large statues of king. The entrance conducted in open, enclosed colonnade a court yard ended portico, constructed little bit above than level of a court yard. For portico were located large columned hall broad and was number smaller. Service roomÿ was in depth of a temple and could consist of several locations: In central - there was a statue of a main deity of a temple, in remaining - statue of other deities, it is usual goddess - wife and god - son. Round main locations the additional halls, templeÿ library, room for special rituals, storehouse placed. The average pass of halls was usually above side. The illumination in different parts of a building was various. The court yard generously filled with the sun; the hall was illuminated through windows under a roof higher central nef; the locations in depth of a temple had not windows, artificial illumination here was constantly applied. Thus, the visitor hitted from a court yard, filled with solar light, through poorly covered hall in twilight cult service room.
The temple of such plan in main features is close to the plan of an apartment house of times of an Average and New empire, that the temple was natural - was considered as dwelling of a god. The type of a temple was sacred and was not subject to a modification. Among the temple manuscripts of libraries there was a Book of the basis of temples by first nine, which according to the legend was written by a known architect and sage of an Ancient empire Imchotep, which was afterwards was idolized. One from the known temples of Ancient Egypt was a temple in Karnak, in an antiquity called Ipet - sut. The history of Egypt has stiffened on it walls, pylons and eaves. Here it is possible to find not only dedicated to inscription of kings, hymns to gods or image of various moment ritual, but also information about major historical events of a New empire. The description of campaigns Tutmos 3 and history it ascent on throne, story and poem about battle Ramses 2 with khetts for want of Kadesh, the lists of kings of Egypt - all this and much other have saved to us buildings Karnaksky of a temple. The temple was devoted Amon - Ra. The temple was under construction on stretch of a number of centuries by various architects. The scales of this temple indeed were huge. Main it the pylon had widthway 113 meters, in height - 43,5 meters and in a thickness of 15 meters. The large hall of this temple took square of 5.000 sq. meters - on it the famous paris cathedral Notr Dam could be placed. A ceiling of this large location was based on 134 columns located in 16 numbers. The columns were height from 19 up to 14 meters. The surface of walls and columns was covered with color contours by square of 24.282 sq.m. So-called Luksorsky temple devoted Amon - Ra, Mut and Khonce, was the second-largest temple of Phive. Both of a temple were connected one another by avenue of Sphinx.
The people serving these temples - priests represented the special class in egyptian company. In times of Pharaoh Ramses 3 they possessed 10 % of treated ground and 6 % of the population. In Egypt there was no separation on a secular and church authority. The priests were considered on an imperial service. This service was rather well paid and soon priest of a post of steel to be transmitted by right of succession. Priests was organized under the special order. By each from deities had organization (clir), in which chapter supreme priest stood, which usually nominated Pharaoh. The number, an influence on and riches of clir depend on the quotation of a concrete deity. So, during a New empire clir of Amon - Ra was most powerful. Supreme priest of each clirs has the special title which depend on a deity. To him there were subject a set of priests, appointed by Pharaoh or supreme priest himself. A maximum stratum of priests was so-called Khem - necher - slaves of god. They were the main senders of a cult. Then there were Kherekheby - readers and connoisseurs of the sacred texts. The plenty of the lowest clergy executed most various, frequently purely economic work in a temple. They were named Uabu (clean). Sometimes supreme priest of most influential clir took till the authority all clirs, all priests. In clir the singers and musicians entered also. The special place took temples calligraphers - Cher - Per - Ankh . It was the very important and prestigious post. The priests were obliged to carry an attire from white flax, at all from woolen fabrics. Some priests carried a skin of panther. On legs at them were white sandals. They should frequently wash and to shave a hair on a skew field and head.
The ancestor all alive and divine in egyptian religion considers a god Atum. According to a legend he has appeared from chaos. Then he has created the first divine pair of a god Shu and goddess Tefnut. Shu was a god, who personified the space between the sky and ground, dividing the sky and ground. Tefnut was a female addition of Shu. This pair has given rise a god Geb and goddess Nute. Geb is a god of the Earth, or as a matter of fact Earth. Nut was a goddess of the Sky, or also Sky. On presentation of ancient Egyptians above is Nut, below Geb, and between them Shu and Tefnut. From Geb and Nut there were two pairs - Osiris and Isida, Setkh and Neftida.
Osiris and it the wife Isida are the most
important figures egyptian pantheon
(all varieties of gods and deities of religion). Osiris was a
god of vegetation. On a legend he was born by first from five deities,
for him were born Hor Higher, Cetkh, Isida and Neftida.
Still in belly of the mother Nute Osiris and Isida have grown fond one another.
When Osiris
has grown up, he has become fairly to correct(rule) by the people, cared
of it to culture. He wandered, and during its absence by country of a rule
it the wife Isida much. It the brother Cetkh envied Osiris, and he decided to kill the brother. He drew Osiris into a chest on
and by driving it by nails, has thrown out it in the sea. The ambassador Cetkh
has scattered pieces of a skew field of Osiris on all Egypt. Isida has found all
these pieces and has buried. Soon she has given rise the son of Osiris -
Hor, which beginnings war against the murderer of the father of Cetkh and
has won it. Osiris has become a numeral dying and rising nature from the death.
Isida - great goddess - mother, numeral motherhood, matrimonial accuracy.
Cetkh is a god of evil. When on fertile grounds at the river Nile has flown
a dry, sandy wind from desert, it was considered, that there were being Cetkh.
The important place in egyptian pantheon was taken by a god
Ra. He
was a god of the sun, god of light. Each day ithe was raised on the sky on
the boat, illuminating all ground, and evening he was lowered
in the underground world, where conducted struggle with forces of darkness.
It(he) always won and again each morning was raised on celestial summary. It
struggled with forces of chaos. A numeral of its constant revival was the sign
Ankh is a cross, at which instead of upper sticks there is a circle. In
medieval alchemy Ankh was by a numeral of immortality.
An ideal of maximum wisdom and truth, personification of the best parties of a
human nature, embodiment of mind at Egyptians was the god Tot. He
helped a god Ra in it to struggle with forces of darkness. It a numeral was
moon.
The god Pta was one from main gods. They named him the ruler of true, deity of justice.
About Pta speak, that he is the sun and moon simultaneously. He was
considered as a patron of crafts. Sometimes he was considered as a supreme
god, creator of all gods and world.
The son of Osiris - god Hor (or Gor) also was included into structure of
main egyptian gods. His personification was divine eagl. He struggles with
the murderer of the father -Cetkh, and also is the companion Ra and Tot.
Sometimes it a numeral was the solar disk. The Hor was considered as an
ancestor all egyptian Pharaohs. At the name almost each Pharaoh there was a
name of Hor. It the wife and female embodiment was goddess Khatkhor, which was
goddess of love, fun, dance and music. Greeks identified it with Aphrodite.
As god of back side of the world the god Anubis was considered. He was
represented usually as the person with a head of jackal. To him the relatives
of died person with the request for protection in back side of the world were converted.
God Amon was considered all very deity of an air and wind, which fills all
visible world, gives life to all living. Amon was considered as the divine
father egyptian Pharaohs. It name as great alive soul, which costs above all
gods. As an air and wind the soul is invisible. Amon was considered also as
spirit recovering. Besides Amon was the advocate oppressed and wretched. It
the wife and female embodiment of soul was goddess Amaunet.
The god Sebek, which was represented frequently in an image of a crocodile,
was also in pantheon of egyptian gods one from main deities. They tuned to Sebek
with prayers about treatment of illnesses, about the help in
difficult vital positions. Was considered also, that Sebek cares about become
frequent died in the back side of the world. Sometimes Sebek was
considered as the companion Ra, and sometimes it by the opponent. It the wife
and female embodiment was goddess Sebeket, which was represented in appearance
the woman with a head of lion.
But all these gods are only small part of egyptian pantheon. Besides there were
local deities, and also home gods, something like slavic goblins, water-sprite.
It is such deities, as Akha, Khit, Pateki, Bes.
Frequently they were represented
as dwarfs, curve, bearded men, which protect the house and people,
living in it and animals from evil, illnesses, dangerous animal.