Egyptian temples have not only stood the test of time but also give us a glimpse into the brilliance of Egyptian architecture and into the soul of this ancient civilization. Here are a few that’ll leave you wide-eyed and in complete awe.
Temple of Karnak
The largest ancient temple ever to be discovered in the world, it took over a millennia to build. The entire complex includes 3 main temples, pylons, and outer small temples about 2.5 km north of Luxor.
Temple of Edfu
Built in the honor of Horus, the falcon god, the temple’s construction began in 237 BC. The walls and the gargantuan columns have hieroglyphics and tales of Horus inscribed on them.
Abu Simbel
Carved out of a mountainside, this beautiful 13th century BC temple was dedicated to Pharaoh Ramasses and his wife, Queen Nefertari. It was relocated while the construction of a dam on the Nile in the 1960s.
Temple of Seti
This mortuary temple of Seti I sits on the west bank of the Nile and houses a list of all the pharaohs of Egypt from Menes in chronological order.
Temple of Hatshepsut
Commissioned by Hatshepsut, the first female Pharaoh of Egypt, the mortuary temple chronicles the tales of her extraordinary reign.
Luxor Temple
Constructed in 1400 BC, the temple sits on the east bank of the Nile and was built in the honor of Amun (God of the Sun), Khons (God of the Moon) and Mut (Mother Goddess).
Philae Temples
The temples are characterized by well-preserved reliefs, a pylon that shows Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos holding his enemies by the hair and beating them with a club, modest columns and an eight-columned vestibule.
Kom Ombo Temple
Dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile deity and Horus, the falcon-god, this unique symmetrical temple has two of everything. Two courts, two colonades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries, one for each God.
Temple of Medinet Habu
The second largest ancient temple in Egypt, this mortuary temple commissioned by Ramesses III dates back to the New Kingdom. Its reliefs and statues are better preserved than the ones in the Karnak Temple.
Other Temples Worth Visiting
Colossi of Memnon Hathor Temple of Khnum Dendera Temple Great Temple of the Aten