TEMPLE OF KHONS , KARNAK

• A Cult temple.
• The temple is dedicated to moon.
• It had entrance pylons, court hypostyle hall, sanctuary, and various chapels
all enclosed by high girdle wall.
• The entrance pylons, fronted by obelisks, Corridor of Sphinxes were
approached through an imposing avenue of sphinxes.
• The temple is entered by a large Pylon, 32 meters long, 10 meters deep, and
18 meters high. Like the facades of other temples, it has four vertical
grooves, with corresponding apertures in the masonry, for the fixing of
flagstaffs. In front of the pylon are the remnants of a colonnade bordered by
a row of sphinxes.
• On the far side of the forecourt, a ramp leads up to the
Vestibule with 12 columns. Beyond this is a transverse
Hypostyle Hall with eight papyrus columns; the four columns
flanking the central aisle have open capitals, while the columns
between the lateral aisles (which are 1.5 meters lower than the
central aisle) have closed capitals.
• The light in the Hypostyle was admitted through clearstory.
• Beyond was the sanctuary , with openings front and back and a
circulating passage around.
• Beyond this was again a four- columned hall.
• There were small rooms flanking the sanctuary.
• on its rear were mainly chapels, for purpose of rituals.
• The temple was protected by a great wall of the same height as
the halls.
• The wall decreased in height
towards the sanctuary end.
 Pylons
• These are the large gates of the
temple, they consisted of two
tapering towers, each surmounted
by a cornice, joined by a less
elevated section which enclosed
the entrance between them
• The entrance was generally half
the height of the two towers.
• Pylons were often carved and
painted with scenes of the
Pharaoh and gods with scenes
emphasizing a king’s authority
since it was the public face of a
cult building.
• In front of the pylon were a pair
of obelisks and statues of the
Pharaohs.
Inner Court
• This was a large open Hall,
which decorated walls
showing scenes of the
Pharaoh and the gods.
• It had a transitional
purpose, serving as an
interface between the
outside world and the
sanctified regions deeper
within the temple.
• People were only allowed
to enter the Outer
Courtyard on festival days.
• Sometimes there was a
second pylon leading to the
Hypostyle hall deeper in.
Hypostyle Hall
• This is a large colonnaded hall
entirely roofed except for the
central aisle which was lit by
windows,
• Scenes of religious rituals were
carved into the walls.
• The capital of the massive
column often in the shape of
the papyrus Flower.
• This was considered the
reception area of the god and
accessible only to the priests and
the Pharaohs were allowed to
enter the hypostyle hall, which
was used for religious rituals.
• Smaller side doors, intended for
bringing in offerings led into
small rooms
 Sanctuary:
• The sanctuary was the most special and important
part of the temple. It was a very dark and relatively
small room.
• The floor sloped steadily upwards until the sanctum
was reached, while the roof was lower
• Only the High Priest and the Pharaoh could ever
enter the sanctuary.
• In the middle of the sanctuary stood the Naos with
the statue of the god. The naos was made of wood,
with doors that were kept closed and locked at all
times except for at the rituals
• A temple could be consecrated to more than one
god, but the Naos of the main deities was always
situated along the main axis, and lesser deities
were placed on either side.
If both deities had the same importance, than a
double sanctuary was constructed along the main
axis (like the one shown in the picture above)
• In close connection to the sanctuary there were
other rooms for storage of the god’s belongings,
jewelry, insignia and ritual tools.
Sacred Lake:

• Most temple precincts

included a sacred lake.
• Archaeologists have
excavated a number of
these in temples of
the New Kingdom.
• The priests used water
from the sacred lake to
perform rituals in the
temple.
 Methods, techniques, materials, tools

• Initially, Egyptians built with mud. Mud was formed into mudbricks. Mudbricks
were dried and hardened in the sun. Structures built with mudbricks would later
be plastered with gypsum, giving a fresh shinning white finish.
• Later, Egyptians would become masters in stones. Limestone would be the
material most used. Troyu and the Moqattam Hills, east of Cairo, were the
source of numerous quarries from which limestone was cut.
• Granite was also used for the interior of tombs. Granite was quarried from
Swenet, in modern day Aswan.
• Canals were usually dug to the construction site. Stones weighing tons were
ferried on barges to the building sites. Levers and ramps were used to get the
stones on sleds. Giant ropes of palm fibers and reeds were made to pull these
giant stones in place. Manpower, not slaves but voluntary workers, were used
for construction.
• Oxens were sometimes used for muscle, instead of human.
• Copper was the metal used to make tools. Diorite, hard stone, was used to cut,
quarry limestone. Sleds without rollers were used to move large stones.
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