Egypt is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is known by all to be the home of colossal, majestic monuments. But, as we pose with our “peace signs” in front of this ancient stone, we fail to realize their intended purpose. Today, the most famous remaining vestiges of this concept reside in the state temples found in modern day Thebes at the archaeological sites of Luxor and Karnak. These are the two best-preserved and largest state temples in Egypt. They are fairly recent in relation to ancient Egypt’s long history, in that they were built and used during the New Kingdom. State temples had existed in Egypt before this time, but their remains are limited because they had been traditionally built out of less durable organic material such as mud and straw. It was not until the new …show more content…
In this way, the function of the Hypostyle Hall is slightly more specific than that of the temple as a whole but still operates under the same set of standards and intentions. It was customary in the State Temples of Karnak and Luxor that on special occasions a barque dedicated to the gods Amun-Re, his consort Mut, and their son Khonsu otherwise known as the Theban triad, would’ve made a processional route through the temple passing through the Hypostyle Hall. These three gods were the “mainstay” gods celebrated in these temples and will be an integral piece of this study. This procession of the “barque” was meant to ensure the cyclical rebirth of the god Amun-Re, who has many solar associations. It is this passage of the barque that gives this hypostyle hall special significance. The Hypostyle Hall was also home to various daily rituals that would’ve been performed every hour. This type of ritual is depicted in wall reliefs along the interior wall of the hall at