The New Kingdom

1031 Words5 Pages
THE NEW KINGDOM KENNETH A. GRAVES COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY While there are several periods that took place in Egyptian history, the New Kingdom is known to be the most brilliant period of Egypt’s long history and it is the time when Egypt had reached the height of its power. The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt was a golden age for architecture and art and is the period of Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and other famous pharaohs. Unlike the Old Kingdom’s impressive monuments of pyramids, the New Kingdom architecture included grandiose temples that were built to honor pharaohs and queens as well as gods. Temples were one of the main architectural innovations of the New Kingdom. They were the most important buildings in ancient Egypt. The temples were known to be elaborate and luxuriously decorated, befitting both the pharaohs and the gods. The Temple of Hatshepsut, is considered to be the most majestic of the royal mortuary temples in Egypt and it honored the female pharaoh Hatshepsut which was one of the most remarkable women in the ancient world. Hatshepsut was considered to be a very unique ruler because she took on several male adornment while she ruled Egypt. Unlike most women in Egyptian history, she attached a false beard, wore male clothing, and was depicted in statues as a pharaoh. Hatshepsut temple rises from the valley floor in three colonnade terraces connected by ramps on the central axis. The long horizontals and verticals of the colonnades and their rhythm of light and dark repeat the pattern of the limestone cliffs above. The walls of the temple depict major achievements such as the expedition to Punt near the Red Sea which brought back many riches for the country. Another temple for the New Kingdom period is Abu Simbel-The Great Temple of Ramses II. It was built on the west bank of the Nile River, between the first and second

More about The New Kingdom

Open Document