Ancient Egyptian Religion

1280 Words3 Pages

One of the most influential factors of architecture is religion. This paper will specifically explore the architectural achievements of the ancient Egyptian culture that stemmed from their rituals and belief system. Religion was without a doubt the strongest aspect in the life of an ancient Egyptian. The monuments that still stand today had some religious relation mainly because the religious or funerary buildings were built in the best location, the largest scale, and built with the most durable materials. Many buildings were adorned with images, carvings or statues of numerous gods worshipped by ancient Egyptians. The universal gods of the cosmic elements were Re (Sun), Nut (Sky), and Geb (Earth). Local deities included Sobek (the crocodile) …show more content…

The pyramids of Giza are the tombs of the Pharaohs of the fourth dynasty: Khufu (Cheops), Chephren (Khafra), and Mycerinus (Menkara). They were built on a plateau on the west bank of the Nile River and were connected by causeways that led to temples (Warren, 1919). The oldest pyramid of these is the largest and referred to as the Great Pyramid, the tomb of King Khufu, and one of the seven wonders of the world. Originally, it was four hundred eighty-four feet high and seven hundred sixty-eight feet on each side. Since being built, it has lost its outer covering and has been ruined at the top (Warren, 1919). Khafra’s pyramid at Giza was the middle pyramid. In front of the pyramid, the Great Sphinx was built — a sculpture carved out of limestone in the shape of a reclining lion with the head of a king, wearing a head cloth, uraeus (upright form of an Egyptian serpent), and beard. Originally, the Sphinx was painted and surrounded by a courtyard. The religious intent of this sculpture was to represent the pharaoh in the form of the first sun and creator god. The third and smallest pyramid of Giza was built by Menkara. Its height was less than half of Khufu’s pyramid. The lower layers were constructed of red granite while the upper layers were made of

Show More
Related

  • Early Egyptian Religious Beliefs and Akhenaten?s Reforms

    2786 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Old Kingdom of Egypt (from 2700 to 2200 B.C.), saw the commencement of many of the rigid, formal beliefs of the Egyptian civilization, both in regards to their religious and political beliefs, as they were very closely intertwined. "... There was a determined attempt to impose order on the multitude of gods and religious beliefs that had existed since predynastic times... and the sun-god Re became the supreme royal god, with the ki...

    Read More

  • Essay On Mayan Pyramids

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    Initially, the Giza and Mayan pyramids served several purposes in their cultures and religions. Source three, paragraph five states, “Mayan pyramids functioned as temples, whether or not they were also tombs of high ranking officials. Only priests

    Read More

  • Khufu's Pyramid: The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Although it is the oldest and most studied structure, it still is the most mysterious. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest and oldest of the three significant pyramids of Giza plateau that was a “funerary structure.” The everlasting monument was to honor Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty pharaoh, Khufu (known as Cheops to the Greeks). Khufu was the son of King Sneferu, who happened to be a great pyramid builder, and Hetepheres I. Khufu reigned for approximately 24 years. The people believed that Khufu was a more ruthless and cruel dictator. The Great Pyramid of Giza was a representation of Khufu’s leading and coordination of his people. Because of Khufu’s memorial,

    Read More

  • Great Sphinx Of Giza Essay

    512 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Sphinx of Giza is an extremely impressive piece of limestone architecture that is still standing to this day. The Sphinx is located in front of Khafre's pyramid facing the East in the Giza Plateau located near the Nile River in Giza, Egypt. The formation of the Sphinx is commonly debated but some say that it was built around 2500 BC for the great pharaoh Khafre who had made the second pyramid out of the three. The mythical creature has a lion body but the face is a sculpture of human, Khafre. It’s approximately “[...] 240 feet in length and 66 feet in height” (Suhr). The great height was served as a closer connection to Re, who is the god of the sun. The Sphinx would connect the people of Egypt and the gods with the belief that the Pharaoh would encase the connection between the “[...] heavens and the laws of nature” (Suhr). The Egyptian people would use this as a medium to connect themselves closer with the rest of the gods and in the afterlife.

    Read More

  • Pyramids Of Giz Annotated Bibliography

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Pyramids Of Giza were chosen as they are three extraordinary structures that give a rich insight into the context, culture, function, technology, power and experiential aspects of the time period and the buildings themselves. The three pyramids showcase the Egyptian’s advanced construction and design methods, their religious beliefs and practices, their rich and diverse culture, the power of the king, as well as the context that surrounded these magnificent structures.

    Read More

  • Animals in Ancient Egypt

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frankfort, H (2000). Ancient Egyptian Religion: An Interpretation . New York: Columbia University Press. p4-31.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Great Pyramid Of Giza

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    The seven wonders of the ancient world demonstrate individuals’ incredible creativity and imagination. God, of course, is responsible for these creations, as He is the one who blessed mankind with such imagination and creativity. Some of these amazing pieces of history include the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The complex architectural feats that each wonder displays are truly remarkable. However, six of these wonders have unfortunately been destroyed. The only structure that remains is the Great Pyramid of Giza. When observing this great ancient wonder, it is interesting to consider its overall general history, theories of construction, and strategies of preservation.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Pyramid Of Giza

    1649 Words  | 4 Pages

    Seven Wonders of the World were described by Greek scholars around the 4th century BCE. These included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Great Pyramid. Of all these wondrous structures, the oldest by far, the Great Pyramid, is the only one remaining and its design, purpose and construction has been a source of debate for centuries. A story from The Arabian Nights from the 8th century AD, tells how “the Great Pyramid was reputed to have magical qualities...” (Peter Tompkins, Secrets of the Great Pyramid, 1978, p.6). The 10th century Arabian historian, Abul Hasan Ali Al-Masudi,

    Read More

  • Ancient Egyptians Beliefs And Customs

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    Egypt is widely known for their Pyramids, many of these gigantic landmarks have lasted for many centuries. Pyramids were built for Pharaohs to guide them into the ‘Afterlife’. Pyramids took 20 to 25 years to construct. Each piece of rock mined from the quarry had to be carefully fitted into the correct position, to make sure the blocks were in the correct spot, special markings were placed on the side of each block. A mallet made of wood was used to mine the hard dry rock from the quarry. It took one thousand and five hundred men approximately to mine five million blocks of rock to complete a pyramid. The huge rocks weighing one to five tones each, had to be carried up a special ramp located in the middle of the pyramid so they could build around it. It took a lot of men to pull the rocks up the ramp. Before each rock was put into place it was cut into shape using the set square and was smoothed out by masons.

    Read More

  • The Great Pyramid of The Seven Wonders of the World

    1931 Words  | 4 Pages

    Of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one still stands today: the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt. Surprisingly, it is by far the oldest of the Seven Wonders. It was already more than 2,000 years old in the time of the ancient Greeks. For more than 4,000 years, the 481-foot-high pyramid was the tallest structure ever built by humans. It is about as tall as a fifty-story building. No other building reached that height until the Eiffel Tower was created in 1887 (Putnam 20). The pyramid’s square base, 756 feet long on each side, is 13 acres, or the size of seven city blocks. The five biggest cathedrals of Europe could be all fitted into the pyramid at the same time (The Pyramids). How did this awe-inspiring structure come to be? Why was it built and how, and who built it? Some writers have called the pyramids mysterious, but recent archaeologists have found many answers to these questions. When one knows how and why the pyramids were built, the Egyptians' achievement seems even more impressive. The pyramids were the tombs of ancient Egyptian kings, or pharaohs. The pharaohs wanted to make sure that after their death, they would rise to the heavens and be worshipped as gods. According to Dr. Zahi Hawass, the director of archaeology at Giza, building a pyramid was a way "to help the king become a god."

    Read More

  • The Mysteries of the Egyptian Pyramids at Giza

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever wondered how the Egyptian pyramids were built or even when they began? How they are so fascinating and yet remain a mystery? These well-built structures are located in Giza, Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. The pyramids are the oldest and last surviving member of ancient admiration. These monuments from ancient Egyptian times are massive, and were made for kings to be buried in and remembered by. These pyramids are a pride and one of the most important factors of the Egyptian culture.

    Read More

  • Egyptian Pyramids Architecture

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Egypt pyramids were constructed for the pharaoh, as a tomb. Their belief was that the top point of the pyramid was the gate for the soul to travel to the afterlife and return to earth if chosen. These tombs were built which line up with planets and certain stars.

    Read More

  • The Characteristics Of The Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures with a square. base and four sloping triangular faces located in Egypt [1]. were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. As of 2008, 138 pyramids have been built. discovered in Egypt.

    Read More

  • Pyramids Of Egypt

    483 Words  | 1 Pages

    The pyramids of Egypt are fascinating, however, they remain to be a mystery. The well-built architecture is located in Giza, Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. The pyramids of Egypt are the oldest and only surviving member of ancient wonders. It is also the pride and one of the most important factors in Egyptian culture.

    Read More

  • Egyptian Architecture Advancement Essay

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of the original seven wonders of the ancient world, only this wonder remains. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2500 B.C. It is about 450 feet high, making it the largest pyramid ever built. By comparison, the Step Pyramid of Djoser was almost 200 feet high. It was built by the Pharaoh Khufu, who enslaved his own people to build it. This feat is marvelous because there around 2.3 million blocks in the pyramid and each one weighs about 2.5 to 15 tons (Gupton). Khufu would have needed to recruit thousands of his people to move these humongous limestone chunks. By building this pyramid, the Ancient Egyptians showed how intelligent and advanced they were. They demonstrated growth in the knowledge of how to construct large

    Read More

More about Ancient Egyptian Religion

Open Document