Significance Of Architectural Features In 2 Ramesside Temples.

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Temples in the Ramesside period of ancient Egypt were created in dedication to the gods and pharaohs. Each architectural feature of the temple is carefully planned out and their construction is based in the principles of maat - balance and harmony. This encourages gods to stay in the human world in the temple which represents heaven on earth. Each major feature has both a physical and symbolic meaning and the most dominant symbolic meaning for any temple's features is a symbolic representation of the primeval papyrus swamp in which life originated. Features such as hypostyle halls with Papyriform columns, pylons and sacred lakes were common to many temples of the Ramesside period and each have some significance to the creation story while also creating beauty or structural integrity in the temple. Hypostyle halls are rooms usually located in the middle of temple complexes filled with Papyriform columns which are stone columns made to resemble papyrus plants. They are used in hypostyle halls as the hypostyle halls are made to represent the primeval papyrus swamp. They are symbolic of the papyrus that filled the primeval papyrus swamp which provided protection for the primeval mound on which the creation of the world began. The stone grate roof filtered sun rays entering the hall and made them illuminate the papyrus stems which signified the first light of the world. The 12 columns in the middle of the Great hypostyle hall which was built by Ram I, Seti and Ram II in the temple at Karnak are about 6m higher than the others representing the temple being created on the primeval hill just as the world was. All other temples of the Ramesside period such as Medinet Habu contain hypostyle halls. The temple of Medinet Habu contains 24 Papyriform columns in the first and 8 in the second. The creation myth states that the first shrine was built on the primeval hill which was

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