Luxor Temple Research Paper

The "art for art" remained unknown in ancient Egypt; all creation was a practical purpose: the prosperity and triumph of Egypt, providing the survival of rulers and notables. The beautiful had no value in itself; we would say in modern terms, that the supreme intention was magical action. According to our book (art history by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren): “The architecture is religious or funeral destination; only temples and tombs were built of sustainable materials, although we also know some palaces and fortresses. The statuary, too, funeral (the statue is considered the repository of the soul of the deceased) or divine (the royal statues represent the pharaoh, god on earth or in the hereafter). The reliefs are dependent on strict religious patterns; one painting, especially that found in the tombs of the notables of the New Kingdom, manifest a spontaneity and a certain naturalism, but it was only a substitute art to replace cheaply the painted relief. This liveliness is reflected in the minor arts, and fard for spoons or pots ointments; but the jewels themselves usually hold conventions of religious symbolism”. Although, the step pyramid and sham buildings, funerary complex of djoser would perfectly help to illustrate the image of the art of the ancient Egypt. The Djoser funerary complex, built during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser in Saqqara is located in Egypt. It’s the first of this magnitude and the

When Solomon completed the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, the city solidified its position as the center of Israel’s religious, political and economic world. The Temple housed the ark of the covenant, which was associated with the physical presence of God, and it was placed in close proximity to the palace of Jerusalem’s richest king to date, King Solomon. Through the establishment of the temple, Jerusalem experienced a powerful sense of spirituality, protection by their God and national independence. When it was destroyed in 586 BCE, many Jerusalemites felt that, like the presence of God, their meaning in life had diminished. The Temple would be rebuilt, razed to the ground and built up again several more times after this.

Guarding the entrance to the 100 feet tall temple are four enormous statues of the Pharaoh, who ruled for roughly 66 years during the 19th dynasty. Each statue stands 67 feet high and depicts Ramses seated on his throne, wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Adorning the sides of the thrones is the symbolic unification of Egypt by the Nile Gods. The whole upper body of one of the figures is destroyed, damaged by an ancient earthquake. You can still see the remains of the torso and head at the base near the feet. Statues of Ramses mother Mut-Tuy, principal wife Nefertari, and son, Prince Amonherkhepshef, stand at his sides, almost as high as his knees, and smaller statues between his legs are thought to represent either his daughters or lesser wives. The frieze topping the temple facade shows 22 baboons worshipping the sun. The recessed statue above the entrance is that of the falcon-headed Ra-Harakhti (associated with Horus) and is flanked by two Bas-reliefs of Ramses, presumably worshipping him. Three connected halls inside the temple dig 185 feet deep into the mountain, where pictures of the King's "grand" accomplishments can be seen covering the walls. The temple was completed near the 24th year

Amenhotep III’s reign is often referred to the “Golden Age”, a time of political stability and economic prosperity for Egypt. With an abundance of tribute, booty, and access/exploitation of natural resources in conquered areas of Nubia, and its sphere of influence in Syria-Palestine; Egypt’s affluence only flourished. This enabled Amenhotep’s expanse/magnificent building programs, also resulting to advances in art and religion. Furthermore, changes in the importance and role of the queen progressed in this period; to the extent of Tiye’s deification, as evident in the temple at Sedeinga, built in dedication to her worship. Despite Amenhotep III’s reputation as a great diplomat, the effectiveness of his

The temple was originally carved out of the mountainside next to the Nile during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC. It was to serve as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. He also wanted to intimidate Egypt's neighbors, the Nubians. It was Ramses' way of trying to make an impression upon Egypt's neighbors, as well as to force Egypt's religion upon them. Propaganda in Egyptian art was common. Art can attempt to persuade, publicize and influence the people’s attitudes. Their art work includes paintings, stone carvings, statues, and sculpture and funeral artifacts. Daily life such as field work, special events, political and social hierarchy, battles

Hatshepsut’s building programs played a major role in her reign as is shown through the praise they still receive from the future generations. Hatshepsut main focus seemed to be her building programs as she constantly refers to them. Once she acquired the role of pharaoh she started repairing buildings that were neglected during the Hyksos occupation such as the temple of Hathor at Cusae, a temple for Min and the temple of Thoth at Hermopolis. Her building programs consisted of completing Thutmose II due to his short reign and constructing new buildings. Her new building programs consisted of her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri; the Red Chapel, obelisks and pylon at Karnak; the barque sanctuary at Luxor and the cliff temple dedicated to the lion goddess, Pakhet at Beni Hassan. Her building programs were important to further enhance her relationship with the Amun- Re cult. Through her buildings she reinforced her relationship with Amun, using it as propaganda to prove that she has the right to claim the throne.

Senenmut, an excellent architect within Ancient Egypt who came from a large educated family, was appointed by Hatshepsut to oversee any royal works, as well as overseeing slaves, fields, and gardens. It is said by some Egyptologists that he initiated a very personal relationship with her—he was even a tutor for Hatshepsut’s daughter. This suggests that Hatshepsut befriended Senenmut for her own advantage, in order for her building plans to be carried out as she pleased. Not only did she effectively choose a skilled architect, but she kept high standards for the location for her memorial tomb. This was at a natural bay near the Theban Mountains, facing the entrance to the Amen-Re Temple at Karnak. This location was especially chosen because it was the existing tomb of her father, and had great importance as it was previously a cult center for Hathor (goddess of ruling kings). A new entrance was created with a staircase leading to a new burial hall carved out of rock. Although her choice called for those extensive alterations of the existing tomb, Hatshepsut wanted to be remembered as a highly regarded leader and appointed Senemut to carry out with those building plans. Hatshepsut’s choice resulted in one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt, known as Djeser Djeseru, meaning holiest of the holy. This specific project displayed Hatshepsut’s creativity

Envision a world where the single purpose in life was to obey the gods who indirectly controlled people through your king. Rituals, duties, and praising were all part of a manifest to pass the tests of the Underworld to achieve eternal life after death. While this may seem like a radical lifestyle to us, this was how the real world was for the civilians during the Ancient Egyptian times. To truly express their fondness and devotion to the gods, people constructed works of art to represent this; remembrances of their collective significant figures in their locality were highly practiced in order to please them. In particular, the State of Khafre was created to honor their deceased king who held significant power in their society as a part of their funeral liturgy. It epitomized the repercussion he held over his nation and the respect he had acquired. The Statue of Khafre did not just illustrate a polytheistic community, but it also prompted the civilians to be respectful towards their god whom were expressed with kings through their practice of rituals, and additionally exhibited how their religion was ultimately integrated as an essential part of life.

I chose the historical object of the Sphinx in Giza because it is unlike the pyramids, it was carved out of the living rock. It is an extraordinary object and one of the best know monuments in Egyptian architecture. The Luxor hotel might

Religion is a system of symbols that establishes powerful motivation in people by creating conceptions of something real. Art and religion have gone hand-in hand for years. Almost every religion has representations of their God and symbols through works of art. Architecture is a form of art, and it requires creativity and imagination to build something related to religion. Two churches from different periods, built with different techniques, can have the same purpose. The design of the St. Louis Chapel Abbey, created by Gyo Obata with the purpose of serving God, is absolutely incredible. Similarly, the Borgund Stave Church in Norway, made from wood a long time ago, is also beautiful though the architect

One known Egyptian temple is The temple of Ramses II, and the temple of Nefertiti dedicated to Hathor, they stood for a very long time, until they had a

: The structures that make up the Temple of Heaven are meant to signify the relationship between heaven and earth, more importantly the connection between the emperors and God. The through in It was believed that offerings made by the emperor to the Gods, would bring a flourishing harvests, as he was believed to be the closest being to god. The structure itself was built so majestically to represent it descending into heaven. The main ceremonies that were held within the hall were all on the basis of worshipping heaven and so it was believed by doing so, it would be seen as favorable to the gods, enough to be blessed with an abundance supply of harvests such as grain. The ceremonial interior of the hall was built in such a way as to emphasize

Temple complexes in Egypts functioned as market places for a diverse range of goods and services. People would travel to the city of Sakkara to seek answers to their prayers, bringing coins with them that were quickly spent in the city. Pilgrims could purchase charms, potions, and favors from the gods, converting their gold or silver coins into a less-temporal, religious currency. This attracted merchants and craftsman to the temples, creating an entire economy devoted to serving the visitors. A ceremony such as the Apis bull funeral depicted in the film would draw in far greater numbers of pilgrims and provide an economic boom for the temple economy. Service in an ancient Egyptian temple complex also included

The temple of Khonsu is an Egyptian temple built in 1184 BCE. The purpose of this temple was to honor Pharaoh Ramesses III, and the Moon-god Khonsu, god of the moon and time, also the god of fertility and the god of healing. However, Pharaoh Ramesses did not finish completing his original sanctuary, but under his successors Ramses IV, the Temple was finally completed. Ramses IV continued the near chambers and added an additional small hypostyle hall to the temple of Khonsu. The Khonsu temple

The city of Petra was built to illuminate special statutes and monuments (Ancient). The people of Petra worshiped the sun and other ideas related to it such as, equinoxes and solstices (Ancient). During the winter solstice, the sun aligns with the statues and illuminates them during the day (Ancient). Their religious traditions have impacted modern day ways of worshiping the one true God. Recently, people have constructed statues and places of worship. For example, Christ the Redeemer, located in Rio, was assembled for people to worship and admire. Furthermore, modern day monuments are used to express religious