The Historical Significance of Temple of Amun - Essay Example

Temple of Amun Introduction Egyptian civilization is well known for its heritage and mystery and is one of the oldest cultural treasures in the world. Egypt being a rich civilization in olden times has more to it when it is about religious practice, ritual and architectural value. Egypt has many historical attractions and one among it is the temple of Amun, located in Karnak. This temple, which is dedicated to Egyptian mythical God Amun is the most sacred place of ancient Egyptians. Here, the paper investigates into the antiquity of Egyptian era and the charisma and elegance of most coveted architectural and cultural wonder of Temple of Amun.It is the mystery and ambiguity surrounding it led to the probe in to the details of this structural work of art. Temple of Amun is also known as temple of Karnak and is built 2000 years back during the peak glory of Egyptian civilization. This temple is dedicated to trinity of Egyptian Gods as Amun, Mut and Khonsu.The temple is located in Karnak , which is a sacred place according to Egyptian religious values and culture. This location has many temple structures and in this Temple Amun is the most significant and complex one. This temple was constructed on the command of Egyptian kings who ruled during those era. “The Temple of Amun in Egypt, unusually, is built along two axis running both east-west and north-south. Its construction took place over many centuries, and at the command of many different “Egyptian kings. It is still a amazing fact that, the precise architectural intelligence behind this temple is in darkness. The Historical significance of Temple of Amun The temple of Amun is a symbol of religious sacredness and royalty of Egyptian civilization. According to the historical evidence this temple was built by Nubian dynasty , who were believed to be divine in nature. The “ Amun” represents their chief deity which is sun and represents the ultimate force behind fertility and prosperity. This temple reflects the architectural efficiency and exquisite religious perception of Egyptian kings. This temple is a prominent attraction of tourist because of its cultural value and ambiguity. This temple is the largest structure in the world and as a reason its historical and cultural value is immeasurable. The temple of Amun is the heritage of Egypt and throws light upon the aesthetic sense and artistic skill of the ancient Egyptian race. The construction and layout of this temple is a huge mystery and archeologists, architects and religious theologian around the world still wonder regarding the concept and scientific reasoning behind its layout. The temple is also spread in a spiritual region which is precious and significant to Egyptian kings who ruled the province. Egyptian civilization being the oldest and most coveted one, is renowned and extra – ordinary till today. The people around the world identify themselves with its culture as the region was an amalgamation of races and ethnicity during its construction period. Hence, the historical significance of this temple allures more people into knowing about its construction detailing. The Layout of The Temple The layout of temple of Amun is magnificent and there is many geographical, religious and cultural value attached to it. The Egyptian king called “ Pharaohs” are great believers of God and they had their own Gods resembling their daily life. The location and the geographical prominence of temple are beyond human imagination and calculation. This core of temple Amun is ideally situated on the east – west axis of a mount which as ample divinity attached to it. Apart from this, the Temple is situated on the banks of “Nile” which is the sacred river of Egyptians and it is also surrounded by other small temples. The God “ Amun” is the local diety of Thebes, which was the center of region of importance in New kingdom of Egypt. As per Egyptian religious laws, the temples were constructed with abundant planning and prophecies from priests and religious heads. This temple lies in Karnak, which is a burial ground of many temples, pylons, chapels and various buildings. Thebes being the worshiping location of eighteenth royal dynasty of Egypt, its geographical significance is outstanding. As per (Stank , 2007)‘The elaborate shrine to the god Amun-Recovers about 200 acres (81 hectares) near the present-day city of Luxor and sits 650 feet (200 meters) from where the river runs today”. It is the proximity to the river Nile and the co – ordination it have with the constellation in the sky enhances the heritage value of this temple. Religious value of the Temple The Temple of Amun is of great religious value as it symbolizes Amun, the God of air, sun and sky. Amun is the local and most powerful God of Egyptian kings. Amun is the primeval God of Egypt in ancient times and it merged with the sun God “ Ra” to form “ Amun – ra”.Amun was be3leived to be the blue – skin God of Nubian and plotelemic era , where the deity represented air and endless creation. Amun – Ra was the protector of land and kingdom of Egyptian in ancient times and he was revered with all piety and divinity. The God Amun – Ra was re established and favored by ruler Akhenaten and was succeeded by his son Tutankhamen who praised and lived by the blessing and rules of Go Amen. Temple of Amen was built by Pharaoh Ramasses III in twentieth dynasty , who was a second pharaoh , during that time. It was a duration of New kingdom , where in the pharaoh Ramsess had great prominence which persuaded him to build a compact but religious temple which became one of the prestigious temple in the Egyptian civilization. The mysterious nature and power of God Amun has led to the popularity and sacredness of the temple and the flow of tourist, scientist , archeologist to the region exemplifies the religious significance of the temple. Cultural value of Temple of Amun According to Egyptian culture, their pantheon of Gods are of primary importance as it resembles their royalty, prosperity and wealth.Their everyday life is supported and sustained by Gods and Amun represented the prime diety of Egyptian dynasty during earlier times. The Egyptian culture is sustained by their various Gods and Amun is considered as the king of Gods and God of Kings. Thus Temple of Amun plays a crucial role in the origin of Nubian kings and they further enhancing to New kingdom of twentieth dynasty. The temple is the place from where the Kings and priests get vision and their carry on their daily norms according to God specifically Amun.Amun is supposed be the universal force and is both hidden and unhidden power of nature. The Egyptian culture is strongly based on the God Amun and the culture of Egypt is built on Amun the primal God of air, water and space. Temple of Amun is built in reverence to their territory and significance .The temple of Amun is culturally significant as it projects the religious values and divinity of Egyptian Gods and Kings. The Culture of Egypt is complexly and mysteriously represented in Temple of Amun, where one can see the God Amun being praised and glorified. The King of Ramssess III is being blessed and signified by Amun which showcases the culture of these kings and Queens and the position the Temple of Amun has in their life. The Architectural layout of Temple of Amun The prodigious te3mple erected by king Ramssess III is astonishing and is admired by people all over the world especially ancient and modern architects. The structural dimension o the Temple is mysterious and its length, breadth and height is of mysterious calculation. According to ( Kidder , 2013) “This stone bastion of 134 columns delimits one side of the temples Great Court and measures 338 feet wide by 170 feet deep”.The3 great court of Temple is 338 feet in width by 170 depth and the aisle of the temple is of 69 feet. The roof of the temple is laid down by stone slabs The usage of mathematics in their unique .architectural construction is the spell binding factor beyond this Temple. The Temple also consist a sacred lake which is the witness point of the ceremonial rituals of the Egyptian priest and priestesses. The entrance of the Temple is ideally constructed on the banks of Nile which amplifies the heritage and architectural intelligence behind it. The main entrance of the Temple is the outer pylon which has an astounding outlook. The Temple of Amun in Karnak is a solid example of the religious belief and divinity of Egyptian Kings as it represents their affinity to God and nature. Amun, being the soul of Egyptian Gods is well reflected and pictured in this prestigious shrine. This shrine of Amun is believed to have connection to the positioning of sun and other constellation which signifies their importance in Egyptian cultural beliefs and practices. The Temple of Amun was and is a wonder due to the intricate architectural detailing and this structure create anticipation, anxiety and perplexity among the most skilled architects among the world civilization. The different alignment of the building throws light upon the intellectual dynamism and complex ritualistic culture of the early aristocratic dynasty of Egypt. The Temple is the sign of divinity and the method in which the Egyptian civilization treasured the power of God and the way in which they integrated the God in their daily life, ceremonies and royal lineage. The Temple not only represents symbols, heliography, paintings, pool and deity but it also pours insight into the mysteries of Egyptian God, it’s from , characteristics and rituals. This temple once was the focal point of Egyptian kings and the beauty and rustic nature of this place of worship has startled Westerners from 19th century. This temple projects many clues to the world about the intelligence and artistic vision of Egyptian people and also persuades the architectural world to work closely with nature and God . It is an amazing fact, that all the paintings and artistic world symbolizes nature and God immensely and also amazes the visitors regarding the importance of nature in the life of pharohs. The mysteries surrounding the Temple and its deep connection to Sun God and Amun is projected in the paintings throw light upon the underlying significance of “Blue God”, that is “ Amun”.Apart from , this the vast construction with sacred pool and other amenities of priests present in the Temple enhances the value and antiquity of the Temple greatly. Conclusion Temples are mostly a work of construction which gathers much attention, due to its antiquity and mystery. However, Temple of Amun is different and stands out from all as it is Egyptian in nature and has lot of complexities and antiquity attached to it. People all over the world are eager and anxious about the detailing of the Egyptian life style and their way of life and the way they amalgamated Gods in to their life. “ Amun “ being the unknown and hidden God of Egyptian royal dynasty , is the center point of their life and religious rituals. . For many centuries, people around the world are attempting to know more about this God of Egyptians , who have been given high importance. Temple of Amun has lot of unambiguity and uncertainties attached to it, which has made it an unbelievable and extra- ordinary . Moreover, this Temple has been constructed so precisely and calculatedly that design and layout of the Temple invite more attention and investigation.The question meddling in the mind of experts is the reason for such a big secrecy being maintained by the Egyptian lords regarding God “Amun”.The architectural defining of the building encourages the Egyptologists and other experts to wonder more about the interesting and unbelievable lifestyle of Egyptian pharaohs. References Dunn, Jimmy. www.touregypt.net. Tour Egypt, 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. . Stanek, Steven. "Surprise Finds at Egypt Temple "Change Everything"." http://news.nationalgeographic.co.in. National Geographic News, 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. . Smith, Kidder. "Temple of Amon Commentary ." www.greatbuildings.com. Great Buildings], 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. Read More