The Temples of Ancient Egypt
Temples had a great deal of social and political power. A variety of people worked there from priests to craftsmen. There were two main types of temples in Egypt: Cultus (religious) and Mortuary.
Cultus temples provided the gods with a residence or shelter. Priests would perform ceremonies and rituals, give offerings and tend to the needs of the gods.
Mortuary temples were only built for the pharaohs. They offered food and clothing to the departed pharoah to make sure that they would continue to help the people of Egypt.
Religious festivals
Many festivals took place throughout Egypt and marked the progression of the year. They celebrated with large banquets of food, parties and games. Many of the festivals were based on the flooding of the Nile and the timing of the lunar calendar. During these festivals, the ancient Egyptians would pay respect to the gods that they believed protected them and allowed new crops to grow each year.
Role of the pharaoh
Most pharaohs were men but some well-known pharaohs, such as Cleopatra and Nefertiti, were women.
The pharaoh was believed to be part god, part man and owned all of Egypt. In case of trouble or disaster, the pharaoh would be blamed for upsetting the gods. When a pharaoh died, ancient Egyptians believed that he would become a god if his heart, when placed on a scale, weighed less than a feather.
Tutankhamun (also known as Tutankhamen and 'King Tut') is the most famous Pharaoh in the modern world.
