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Top Most Iconic Pieces of Architecture in Ancient Egypt

The most interesting places to know about and visit in Egypt

By Mariam DemianPublished 3 years ago 9 min read

Top Most Iconic Pieces of Architecture in Ancient Egypt

1. Great Pyramid of Giza

2. Karnak Temple Complex

3. Abu Simbel Temples

4. Luxor Temple

5. Valley of the Kings

6. Great Sphinx of Giza

7. Temple of Horus at Edfu

8. Step Pyramid of Djoser

9. Colossi of Memnon

10. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

1. Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramids of Giza are the oldest and largest of all of the three conglomerations in Giza premises, Egypt. It's the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain fully complete.

The Great Pyramids were invented as a grave for Pharaoh Khufu( also known as Cheops) around 2560 BC. It's estimated that it took over 20 times to make and was constructed using over 2 million blocks of limestone and determinedness, each importing a normal of 2.5 tons.

The Great Pyramids has three given chambers a King’s Chamber, a Queen’s Chamber, and an untreated subsurface Chamber located beneath the aggregate’s base.

The Great Aggregate has four sides that are slightly hollow, which is allowed to have been designed to ensure that all four sides would appear equal from any angle when viewed from a distance.

The Great Aggregate was first covered in polished white limestone containing monuments which gave it a smooth external face and made it appear indeed more emotional from hence. still, utmost of these containing monuments were removed by treasure nimrods over time and used for other structural systems in Cairo and away in Egypt.

Inside the aggregate, there are numerous mysterious passages and shafts that lead to unknown destinations or dead ends, including two narrow shafts that extend from the King’s Chamber up towards the outside of the aggregate but end suddenly before reaching their destination – their purpose remains unknown to this day!

Numerous propositions have been proposed about what lies beneath or inside the Great Aggregate, including secret chambers filled with ancient treasures or indeed substantiation of extraterrestrial life!

2. Karnak Temple Complex

Karnak Temple Complex is an ancient Egyptian tabernacle complex located in Luxor, Egypt. It's one of the most important archaeological spots in the world and is considered to be the largest

ancient religious point ever erected. The complex consists of four main corridors the Precinct of Amun- Ra, , the Precinct of Montu, the Precinct of Mut, and the disassembled Temple of Amenhotep IV.

The Precinct of Amun- Ra was devoted to Amun- Ra, the principal deity of Thebes. It's girdled by a massive slush slipup wall and contains a variety of structures including a large Hypostyle Hall with 134 columns, two shrines, several tabernacles and sanctuaries, and a sacred lake.

The Precinct of Mut is devoted to Mut, the mama goddess, and consort of Amun- Ra. It contains several tabernacles and sanctuaries as well as a sacred lake.

The Precinct of Montu is for Montu, which was an ancient Egyptian war god. It contains several tabernacles and sanctuaries as well as a sacred lake.

Pharaoh Akhenaten first erected the disassembled Temple of Amenhotep IV in honor of his patron god Aten. It was latterly disassembled by his son Tutankhamen who restored traditional Egyptian religion after Akhenaten's death.

3. Abu Simbel Temples

The Abu Simbel tabernacles are two massive gemstone-cut tabernacles located in the ancient Egyptian megacity of Abu Simbel, near the border with Sudan. The tabernacles were erected by Pharaoh Ramesses II in the

13th century BC to commemorate his palm at the Battle of Kadesh. The larger tabernacle is devoted to the gods Amun, Ra- Horakhty, and Ptah, while the lower tabernacle is devoted to his cherished

woman Nefertari. Both tabernacles feature four colossal statues of Ramesses II at their entrance. Outside, there are multitudinous reliefs depicting scenes from Ramesses' life and military juggernauts.

The tabernacles were dislocated in 1968 due to their hovered destruction by rising waters from the Aswan High Dam design. moment, they're a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular sightseer magnet.

4. Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is an ancient Egyptian tabernacle complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the megacity of Luxor( ancient Thebes). It was erected around 1400 BCE by Amenhotep III and completed

by Tutankhamun and Horemheb. The tabernacle was devoted to the god Amun and was part of a larger complex that included two other tabernacles, the Karnak Temple and the Temple of Mut.

The tabernacle is made up of several pylons, courts, halls, and sanctuaries. The first pylon is decorated with scenes depicting Amenhotep III's military juggernauts. The alternate pylon leads to a court with two shrines, one from Hatshepsut and one from Tutankhamun. Beyond this court is a hypostyle hall with 12 columns decorated with scenes from the Book of Gates. Further into the tabernacle is a sanctuary devoted to Amun- Re, which contains a determined balcony and statues of Amenhotep III.

The tabernacle also features several other lower sanctuaries devoted to colorful gods similar to Ptah, Khonsu, Mut, and Hathor. In addition to its religious significance, Luxor Temple has also been used for colorful political events throughout its history. It was used as a coronation point for several dictators including Seti I and Ramses II. It also served as a background for numerous important observances similar to royal marriages and sepultures.

5. Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the lords is an ancient burial ground located in Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. It's also known as the Valley of the Gates of the lords. The vale was used for burial by some of Egypt's most important dictators, including Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Seti I. The sepultures were erected from limestone and decorated with hieroglyphs and oils.

The Valley of the lords was discovered in 1822 by Giovanni Belzoni, an Italian discoverer. Also, it has been shoveled by archaeologists who uncovered further than 60 sepultures belonging to colorful dictators and their families. The most notorious grave is that of Tutankhamun, which was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter and George Herbert. Inside this grave was a wealth of vestiges that exfoliate light on ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs.

The Valley of the lords is a popular sightseeing destination in Egypt. Callers can explore some of the sepultures that have been opened to the public or take part in guided tenures that give further information about this fascinating point.

6. Great Sphinx of Giza

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most mysterious monuments in the world. It has been shrouded in a riddle for centuries and numerous secrets remain retired beneath its ancient gravestone facade. There are some of the secrets that have been revealed about the Great Sphinx

1. The Sphinx is muchly aged than preliminarily allowed. Recent exploration suggests that it may have been erected as early as,500 times agone, making it further than doubly as old as preliminarily believed.

2. The Sphinx was first painted in vibrant colors, including red, blue, and unheroic.

3. The face of the Sphinx is believed to be a portrayal of Pharaoh Khafre, who ruled Egypt during the Fourth Dynasty( 2575- 2465 BCE).

4. The body of the Sphinx was sculpted from a single block of limestone and is estimated to weigh further than 200 tons.

5. The original name for the Great Sphinx was “ Hor- em- akhet ” which means “ Horus of the Horizon ” in the ancient Egyptian language.

6. There are two small coverts located behind the cognizance of the Sphinx which was used by preachers to pierce an inner chamber within its body.

7. In 1998, a platoon of archaeologists discovered a secret chamber inside the body of the Great Sphinx which contained vestiges dating back to 2500 BCE and earlier.

7. Temple of Horus at Edfu

The Temple of Horus at Edfu is an ancient Egyptian tabernacle located in Edfu, Egypt. It was erected during the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BC.

The tabernacle is devoted to the falcon god Horus and is one of the stylish saved tabernacles in Egypt. The tabernacle complex consists of a large hypostyle hall, several lower apartments, and a large yard girdled by columns. Inside the tabernacle are multitudinous reliefs depicting scenes from Egyptian tradition, including the battle between Horus and Seth. The tabernacle also contains a number of eulogies detailing immolations made to Horus by colorful autocrats throughout history.

The Temple of Horus at Edfu is a popular sightseer magnet and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

8. Step Pyramid of Djoser

The Step Aggregate of Djoser is a step aggregate located in Saqqara, Egypt. It was erected during the Third Dynasty of Egypt for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser.

The aggregate was designed by Imhotep, a mastermind and high clerk to caesar. It's considered to be the foremost large-scale cut gravestone construction and one of the foremost exemplifications of monumental armature in history. The aggregate is composed of six stepped sundecks, with each sundeck being about 2.7 measures( 9 bases) high and having a base length of about 35 measures( 115 bases). The total height of the aggregate is around 62 measures( 203 bases). The aggregate also contains a number of underground chambers, including a burial chamber for Pharaoh Djoser.

1. The Step Aggregate of Djoser is the oldest aggregate in Egypt, erected in the 27th century BC.

2. It was designed by the mastermind Imhotep, who's considered to be the first recorded mastermind in history.

3. The aggregate was erected as a grave for Pharaoh Djoser and was part of a larger complex that included tabernacles and yards.

4. The Step Aggregate is made up of six piled mastabas, or blockish structures with leaning sides, which were erected on top of each other to produce the stepped shape.

5. The aggregate is girdled by a walled quadrangle known as a “ serdab ” which contained statues of Pharaoh Djoser and his family members.

6. Inside the aggregate are several secret chambers and galleries that have yet to be completely explored by archaeologists.

7. It's believed that these secret chambers may contain precious vestiges or indeed hidden treasures from ancient Egypt!

9. Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are two massive gravestone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, located in the Theban necropolis in Luxor, Egypt. They're the largest and most complete ancient statues in Egypt,

standing at a height of 18 measures( 59 bases). The statues depict Amenhotep III seated on a throne, with his hands resting on his knees, and wearing the traditional royal headgear.

The Colossi of Memnon was erected around 1350 BC during the reign of Amenhotep III. They were firstly part of a larger mortuary tabernacle complex devoted to caesar, but only the two statues remain a moment. The statues were sculpted from quartzite sandstone and are believed to have been painted in bright colors when they were first erected.

The Colossi of Memnon have come one of Egypt's most notorious sightseer lodestones due to their size and emotional artificer. They've also come associated with an ancient legend

about a magical sound that was heard coming from one of the statues during daylight. This legend has been vulgarized by pens similar to Homer and Virgil, and it has made the Colossi of Memnon was indeed more notorious throughout history.

10. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple is located in the ancient megacity of Deir el- Bahri, Egypt. It was erected by the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Hatshepsut and was devoted to the gods Amun, Hathor, and Anubis.

The tabernacle is considered one of the most beautiful monuments in Egypt and is a testament to Hatshepsut's power and influence as a womanish sovereign.

The tabernacle was designed by Senenmut, Hatshepsut's trusted counsel and mastermind. It consists of three situations an upper sundeck, a middle sundeck, and a lower sundeck. The upper sundeck

contains two colonnades with statues of Hatshepsut as a sphinx, as well as statues of her father Thutmose I, and her hubby Thutmose II. The middle sundeck contains two shrines that were erected by Hatshepsut to commemorate her reign. The lower sundeck contains a sanctuary devoted to Amun- Ra, the god of creation.

The tabernacle also contains several secret chambers that were used for religious observances and rituals. One similar chamber is known as the" Chamber of Secrets" which contained sacred objects associated with the gods similar to statues, phylacteries, and other particulars used in religious observances.

The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is an important archaeological point that provides sapience into ancient Egyptian culture and religion. It's also an important illustration of how important women could be in Ancient Egypt despite their gender places at the time.

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About the Creator

Mariam Demian

My name is Mariam and I am a Computer Science graduate. I have always had a passion for writing, travel, and technology. I have experience in communication, and techology. In my free time, I enjoy swimming,and spending time with friends.

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