THE TEMPLES OF EGYPT

1 The ancient Egyptians were great builders. Their temples and

pyramids still stand today, and thousands of people visit them every
year. However, in ancient Egypt, the temples and pyramids were not
for ordinary people. The pyramids were tombs for the pharaohs, the
kings of ancient Egypt. The Egyptian temples were very special
places, too. But an Egyptian temple was not a tomb. For the ancient
Egyptians, a temple was the home of a god.

The six parts of a temple were the gate, the courtyard, the first hall,
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the second hall, the sanctuary, and the sacred lake.
3 The gate was the entrance at the front of the temple.
The courtyard was a large open room with no roof. Many pictures of
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the pharaoh and the gods were on the walls of the courtyard. The
temple courtyard was open to ordinary people only on special days.
5 The first hall was a large, dark room. It was light only in the center
aisle. This hall was full of columns in the shape of water plants.
6 The second hall was full of columns, too. It was very dark. It was
open only to priests and the pharaoh.
7 The sanctuary was the most special and important part of the
temple. Like the second hall, this room was open only to priests and
the pharaoh. A statue of the god was in the middle of the sanctuary.
8 The sacred lake was a pool of water next to the temple. The water
from the sacred lake was important for special rituals.