Most New Kingdom and later temples follow one plan, as the two kinds of temple both show. Walking in from the river, you pass a set of parts in a fixed order.
Key idea
From the river: quay, avenue of sphinxes, pylon, open court, hypostyle hall, offering hall, sanctuary.
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Quay | a landing on the river or a canal for the god’s boat at festivals |
| Avenue of sphinxes | a processional way lined with sphinxes |
| Pylon | the great gateway: two towers with a door between, with flagpoles and often a pair of obelisks |
| Open court | a courtyard open to the sky, often with columns along the sides |
| Hypostyle hall | a roofed hall full of columns, lit by high windows |
| Offering hall | a smaller hall where offerings were laid out |
| Sanctuary | the god’s room, with the shrine (naos) for the statue |
Why it works
The order follows a single idea: each step takes you further from the outside world and closer to the god. The doorways get smaller, the rooms darker, the people allowed in fewer. Crowds might reach the court on a feast day; the hypostyle hall was for priests; the sanctuary for the king and the high priests. You will see in The Temple as the World that the order also pictures the world.
Worked example: Step by step
You have just passed through the pylon. What comes next?
- The pylon is the gateway.
- Behind it is the open court.
- After the court comes the hypostyle hall.
Answer: The open court.
Worked example: Reading a real temple
Karnak has six pylons one behind another along its main axis. Does that break the plan?
- The plan is a pattern: gateway, court, hall, sanctuary.
- Each king who enlarged Karnak added a new gateway and court in front of the old ones.
- So a big temple repeats parts of the plan, but the order from the river inward stays the same.
Answer: No: Karnak repeats the parts, in the same order.
Common mistake
Putting the hypostyle hall before the pylon. The pylon is the gateway; everything else lies behind it. Quick check: you cannot enter a hall before you pass through the gate.