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egyptian temples
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Listed below are some of the main cult temple sites of Ancient Egypt:

TEMPLE   LOCATION DEDICATED TO
Abu Simbel 250km south-east of Aswan, NUBIA. Great temple is dedicated to Amun-Re, Re-Horakhty, Ptah and Ramesses II. Smaller temple dedicated to Hathor and Queen Nefertari.
Abydos: Temple of Seti and temple of Ramesses II Sacred site 50km south of modern Sohag. Temple of Seti also incorporates the flooded underground temple of the Osireion. Temple of Seti with chapels dedicated to Ptah, Re-Horakhty, Amun, Osiris, Isis and Horus. Temple of Ramesses II dedicated to Osiris.
Akhetaten: "Island of Aten, distinguished in Jubilees" and the Temple of Kom el-Nana. el-Amarna, 280km south of Cairo, the new capital city founded by Akhenaten. Temple complexes dedicated to Aten, the sun-disc. The Great temple of Aten and the Small temple of Aten (reconstruction shown).
Asyut

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Capital of the 13th Upper Egyptian Nome, roughly midway between Cairo and Aswan. Wepwawet, a jackal god of Middle Egypt.
Colossi of Memnon West Bank, Thebes. Aerial view of temple site. Mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. Largest temple ever built. All that now remains are the two enormous statues that guarded the outer gates.
Dendera Dendera, near modern Qena, 60km north of Luxor, UPPER EGYPT. Hathor. Ptolemaic temple constructed between 54 BC - 20 BC.
Edfu Edfu, 60 miles north of Aswan, UPPER EGYPT. Horus. First new temple to be built by the Ptolemies.
Elephantine Island Elephantine Island, ASWAN. Khnum. New Kingdom temple, now mostly in ruins.
Esna Esna, 50km south of LUXOR. Khnum. The temple now stands in the middle of the modern town at a level of about 9m below the surrounding ground.
Hapshepsut Deir el-Bahri, Thebes, LUXOR The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut.
Heliopolis Ancient Heliopolis, under the North-western suburbs of modern Cairo. Site of the first sun-temple at the ancient city of On, dedicated to Re-Horakhty.
Kalabsha (unfinished) 50km south of Aswan, UPPER EGYPT. The largest freestanding Nubian temple in Egypt, it was relocated by UNESCO in 1970, with the building of the High Dam. Mandulis (local god) a Nubian form of Horus, shown with an elaborate head-dress of cobras and a sun disc.
Karnak Karnak, Thebes, LUXOR. Amun-Re, Mut and Montu. The largest temple complex, built and enlarged over a 1300 year period.
Kom Ombo 40km north of Aswan, UPPER EGYPT. "Dual" Ptolemaic temple, one temple dedicated to Sobek, the other to Haroeris.
Luxor Thebes, LUXOR. Amun-Kamutef. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
Medinat Habu Medinat Habu, THEBES. Amun. New Kingdom temple complex built by Ramesses III, modelled on the Ramesseum. Completely enclosed by a defensive wall.
Memphis   Ancient capital city of Ancient Egypt, 24km south of modern Cairo. Main temple dedicated to Ptah. Earlier temples to Sekhmet and Nefertem (who formed a triad with Ptah) clearly existed. A smaller temple to Ptah also exists on the site.
Osireion Abydos, 145km north of Luxor
between Sohag and Qena.
Osiris. Interpreted as a symbolic tomb of Osiris, the Osireion dates from the reign of Seti I and is situated to the west of Seti's temple at Abydos.
Philae Originally on Philae Island, ASWAN, but relocated 1972-1980 to nearby Agilqiyya Island by UNESCO. Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Isis.
Ramesseum West bank at Luxor, Thebes. Mortuary temple of Ramesses II dedicated to Amun.
Siwa Oasis (two temples) Aghurmi, Libyan desert, 560km west of Cairo, LOWER EGYPT. Temple of the Oracle (shown) and Temple of Umm Ubyda. Amun. Famous for being the place where Alexander the great visited the Oracle when he conquered Egypt.
Tanis North-eastern Delta, capital of the 19th Lower Egyptian Nome in the Late Period. Main temple dedicated to Amun, smaller temples dedicated to Mut and Khons. Mostly in ruins.

See also: our glossary of temple terms >>

 

   
 

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