The temple was at the heart of Egyptian culture. Every major city or town had its patron god who was venerated within temples to maintain universal order and harmony (Ma’at). Temples are known from the dawn of Egyptian history and their architecture developed considerably over the centuries. While priests officiated within them on a daily basis, central to Egyptian belief was that the king interacted with the gods by making offerings in every temple to maintain the security of Egypt. In this way the pharoah, the gods and the temple together were essential for the protection of Egypt.

Learn about the main features of temple architecture, their decorative scheme, their so-called mythological origins, the process of appeasing the gods, and the temples’ role in society with an illustrated presentation by leading Egyptologist, Associate Professor Colin Hope. 

This program will be held in person and livestreamed. When booking, you can choose to purchase an in-person ticket or a virtual ticket to access the livestream.

Speaker

Associate Professor Colin Hope is an Egyptologist with wide experience in teaching, supervision and excavation. He was the foundation director of the Centre for Ancient Cultures at Monash University from 1999-2017 where he coordinated the degree in Archaeology and Ancient History. He has worked on digs around the Mediterranean and especially in Egypt since 1974. He directs excavations in Egypt’s Western Desert oasis of Dakhleh on behalf of Monash. Since the early 1980s he has been associated with NGV and was the first to study its collection of Egyptian antiquities in recent times. He has excavated the Temple of Seth and Temple of Tutu in Dakhleh Oasis.