Egyptian temples

Egyptian temples were places of worship built across ancient Egypt for the sake of the gods and goddesses and in commemoration of the reigning pharaoh. They were seen as houses for the gods or kings to whom they were dedicated. Performed within them were the central rituals of the Egyptian religion: giving offerings to the gods; re-enacting their mythology through festivals; and warding off the forces of chaos. These rituals were seen as necessary for the gods to continue to uphold ma'at—the divine order of the universe. Caring for the gods was the obligation of every pharaoh, who dedicated prodigious resources to temple construction and maintenance. Pharaohs delegated most of their ritual duties to priests, but most of the populace was excluded from direct participation in ceremonies and forbidden to enter a temple's most sacred areas. Nevertheless, a temple was an important religious site for all social classes of the Egyptian people, who went there to pray, give offerings, and seek guidance from an oracle.