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Name: Sumiya

Student ID: 2019031830

Submission Date: 8 August, 2021

Professor : Ronald Hawker

 Temples in Egypt vs. Japan

Temples are typically buildings or structures that serve religious or spiritual practices such as

prayers and sacrifices. Depending on the culture of a specific location, you will find different

types of temples in style, architecture, meaning, and religion, while all still serving a similar

purpose. These temples can come in the forms of domes, castle-like structures, pyramids,

churches, and cathedrals, as well as worshipping past pharaohs, Gods, Buddha, and many other

types of deities. In this paper, I will discuss two types of temples: The Temple of Hatshepsut that

worships a well-known female pharaoh in Egypt, the Queen Hatshepsut, and the Horyu-ji

Temple that worships Buddha in Japan. Both temples worship a type of famous figure,

regardless of fact or fiction.

Temple of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut the temple (figure 1) dates back to 1478-1458 B.C.E. during the new monarchy era and

the 18th dynasty when Queen Hatshepsut, also considered the most powerful female Pharaoh in

Ancient Egypt, was in power. The Temple is located at the base of a cliff on Luxor's West Bank, in a

natural harbor that protects it from rockslides (University of Memphis, 2019).Temples in Egypt

serve as a monument to honor Gods and the hierarchy to commemorate their reigns for eternity. It is

stated that Hatshepsut’s time in power was considered the most peaceful in Ancient Egypt’s history;

there were successful trades between countries booming economy, and she employed many laborers

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(from slaves to her own people) from around the nation to work on her projects. Both skilled and

unskilled workers constructed temples, pyramids, palaces, and monuments as paid workers from the

Pharaohs. Hatshepsut’s temple was modeled and designed after Mentuhotep II’s temple who was a

Theban prince in the 11th dynasty during the Middle Kingdom era (2040-1782 B.C.E.). She did not

want her temple to be mistaken for the same one or as a part of

Mentuhotep’s temple, since she also wanted to construct it right beside

this old temple, so she built hers much grander and more elegant. This

was due to her being female in a position generally for males who

needed to establish her power and authority; therefore designing a

massive and elegant temple was one way to claim her power and superiority.

Her stepson, Thutmose III, was not eligible to obtain the throne when his father died and this did

not sit well with Thutmose. He ended up destroying all evidence of his stepmother including

erasing her name and cutting her images out of all public monuments. It is believed he did this

because the monarchy in Egypt is traditionally male and Hatshepsut was a very strong female

leader, he was jealous and wanted to erase her and her memory of success and replace it with his

own face. It was not until the mid- 19th century that some of her monuments and statues had

been dug up by archeologists, but the hieroglyphics were so old that no one could understand

how to read them; as a result of this, her name being lost

for so many years. With continued exploration and

excavation, historians and archeologists were successful

in giving her name back to Egyptian history and she is

still a powerful presence.

Architectural Features

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The main architectural characteristics of this temple, other than it being larger than the old temple of

the previous Pharaoh, is a long ramp that runs through gardens and courtyards up to the second and

third level with an entrance pylon lined with towering pillars (figure 2). A visitor can enter the first

courtyard on the ground level by an archway or up the ramp with lion statues at the entrance. The

second level features two reflecting ponds as well as sphinxes that lead to the third and final level's

ramp. The walls are shown on the right side of the third-level ramp by the Birth Colonnade and on the

left side of the ramp by the Punt Colonnade. Hatshepsut's birth is depicted

on the Birth Colonnade, with Hatshepsut laying in goddess Neith's

protective arms. Because Queen Hatshepsut was a woman, this colonnade

was built to legitimize her claim to the throne. The Punt Colonnade tells

the storey of Hatshepsut's expedition to "the Land of the Gods," now

Somalia, and what was considered one of history's most important

commercial journeys. Egyptians loaded their boats with the marvels they

found on the Land of Punt which was mainly goodly aromatic woods and incense. The Colonnades

were unfortunately destroyed when her stepson, Thutmose III, tried to rid of all evidence of her ruling

(Gulnaz, 2018).

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Symmetry is very important in Egyptian temples and Queen Hatshepsut wanted to put her lover’s

tomb in the second courtyard on the right side of the ramp; however, because there was no such

structure on the left side of the ramp, there could be no tomb above ground on the right

Side Unlike most temples during this era, the

Temple of Hatshepsut was built out of Theban

limestone rather than sandstone, which was a local

material to the region of Luxor and the same

material as its surroundings in order for it to blend

into the mountain and cliffs it was built in (figure 3

Figure 3 Hatshepsut’s temple design is very unique in Egypt as it resembles Classical Architecture

which Originated from Greek and Roman origins and was one

of the first structures in Egypt to adopt this style.

Material used

Hatshepsut's construction and landscaping effort begins to

meld into the surrounding environment. It is made of the same

materials as the surrounding natural mountainous Upper Egypt

scenery. It's a delicate mix of Khons Temple and Ramesses Temple projects. Queen Hatshepsut's

Mortuary Temple is a hybrid of the two projects, both Additive and Subtractive (Gulnaz, 2018).

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 Interior

The Anubis Chapel is located near the

north end of Hatshepsut's mortuary

temple's second level. The deity of

embalming and the cemetery was

Anubis. He was often shown as a man

with a jackal's head, as he appears here.

Anubis is seated on a throne that sits atop a tiny pedestal. From the

bottom to the top of the register, he is confronted with an eight-tiered

stack of offerings. Despite the fact that most of the color has faded, the

original painting's brilliance can be imagined. Because the Egyptians utilized mineral paints instead of

vegetable pigments, the colors haven't faded as much (Gulnaz, 2018).

Societal Roles and Women

During the New Kingdom, temples were the main architectural novelty and the most important

because it held the tombs of the Pharaoh’s and their legacy. Queen Hatshepsut’s voyages to the

Land of Punt established more networks for trading in Egypt and built the country’s wealth that

everyone can see today. In Ancient Egypt, society and class was based off a pyramid structure (US

History, 2021), with Pharaoh’s and those associated with holiness on the top, and servants and

slaves on the bottom. Farmers would “pay” Pharaoh’s for their protection and taxes in grain which

was stored in warehouses in case of a famine, where the Pharaoh would feed the people (US

History, 2021). Even in Ancient Egypt and the time Queen Hatshepsut ruled, women were not seen

to be fit for a ruling title and needed to tend the home for the basic duties of cleaning and taking

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care of the children. For this reason, Hatshepsut would dress like a man with a fake beard to help

her get more respected into the role of a ruler and to manipulate people into thinking she was a

male. Even some of the paintings and sculptures were made to represent a male body which her

face and a beard.

Horyu-ji Temple Figure: 4

The Horyu-ji Temple was founded by Prince Shotoku, also known as the

“Father of Japanese Buddhism,” near his own estate in Ikaruga, just outside

of Nara, Japan and is an example of architecture in the Asuka period. The

original temple was built in 607 A.D. but was struck by lightning and burned

down; reconstruction was completed in 670 A.D. The temple is known to be

the oldest wooden building in the world, built with Japanese Cypress trees,

and about 65% of the original wood that had not been damaged is still firm

and standing strong today Horyu-ji Temple is part of the “Seven Great Temples of Nara” and is

recognized on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. Horyu-ji is an indication of Buddhism growing in

Japan and is an important role in early development of Japanese culture. Horyu Gakuon-ji was the full

name of Horuyu-ji, which was not just a temple but also a place of study and teaching.

Architectural Features

Horyu-Ji Temple was made into a Buddhist temple by Shotuku. In the mid-6th century, Buddhism

came from Korea and Shotoku wanted to spread this religion throughout Japan. The outer gate, pagoda,

and Main Hall, according to the findings, were the only

parts of the temple that survived the fire. Columns that

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bend slightly and taper near the top, columns topped by wooden block plates to hold the weight of the

ceramic tiled roofs, and wooden brackets adorned with cloud designs that help with load-bearing

distinguish the Asuka period from earlier periods in Japan (Cartwright, 2017). There are four

components of the temple: The Main Hall, the pagoda, the Lecture Hall, and the Middle and Great

South Gate, which are symmetrical along a central axis point. A walled exterior with Chinese style

window openings surrounds the complex with a walkway that is confined by the wall. The Lecture Hall

is centered along the Great South Gate with the pagoda and the Main Hall is offset to the right side. The

architects for this building wanted the viewer to see both the pagoda and the Main Hall at the same time

while looking through the Middle Gate and the reason it differs from the typical monastery plan.

Another reason for the offset was to create visual composition of the different heights and widths of the

two buildings (figures 4 and 5). Figure: 5

The Main Hall faces south, and lesser important statues face in all other directions.

When Horyu-Ji was rebuilt, the Main Hall’s exterior decorations contained dragons

which symbolize a water god to keep it safe from burning. The second level railings are carved

to signify swastikas, which in Japanese culture represents the location of a Buddhist temple.

Brightly colored murals on each wall depict scenes with Buddha and bodhisattvas, giving the

Main Hall the appearance of a Buddhist vision

of heaven. There are a total of 12 panels

depicting scenes with Buddha and bodhisattvas.

The flooring is made of compact clay and

elaborate lotus designs decorate the ceiling. In

each of the corners near the ceiling stand four

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 guardians of heaven standing on powerless demons (2017). A bronze memorial piece for Prince

Shotoku, dated 623 A.D., may be seen near the back of the Main Hall, with an etched prayer for

his health and afterlife in the Land of Bliss for him and his family. This statue was rescued from

the fire and then reinstalled into the new Main Hall where it stands today.

The pagoda is five stories high and includes multiple important Buddhist scriptures and relics.

The roofs are curved upwards to give a taller illusion. The second floor is not a separate level,

making the first floor have a high ceiling and the visual from

the exterior makes it look like it is another story. The façade

and interior are both painted with a red oxide of lead

symbolizes strength and power, and the structure also houses

the ruins of the ancient temple (Cartwright, 2017).

Construction Methods

The construction method to build this temple is not an

ordinary way of construction. The builders used skills that

were passed down from father to son and many generations of

techniques and skills. Many temples and shrines are made from Japanese Cypress trees because

they are very durable and maintain their quality for 200 years even after being cut down. The

people and builders of Japan would read the wood in order to decide if they can use it for

construction or not; since wood is organic and can be uneven, this was extremely important for

the structure to be safe and not collapse. There are lots of factors that had to be put into choosing

the perfect wood, according to the article from Interaction Green; length, diameter, age of tree,

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 moisture content, direction and angle of bend, growing speed which would affect strength, and

the end location of where the wood will be used. Since there were no sawmills and electrical

tools during this time period, builders only had froes, or shake axes, to cut the logs by splitting it

with the grain for a cleaner cut, and for this reason, the people had to be significantly

knowledgeable about the wood they were cutting.

Role of Buddhism in Society

The Buddhism was introduced around 538-552 A.D. and

encourages literacy, education, and the arts in ancient Japan. Before

Buddhism, the people stuck to the ancient beliefs of Shintōism, which is a

hopeful devotion as humans are thought to be good and evil was caused by

evil spirits (Japan-Guide, 2021); their practices warded off evil spirits by

purification, praying, and offerings to the Shintō Gods. With Shintōism as

the major religion, Buddhism follows closely behind as they can adopt and

blend the two beliefs together. Shintō religion had the general idea of life but did not know what

happened after death, which is where the Buddhist religion completes the picture for the people.

The monasteries do not only act as temples, but the monks who monitor them also provide

schools, libraries, and food and shelter for those who need it, in addition to helping out in local

communities with road, bridge, and irrigation projects.

Comparison and Conclusion

Temples in Egypt and Japan are both laid out on an axis that has gates for entrances before you

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 enter to the main structure and a tall wall structure surrounding the complex. Symmetry is

important as it can represent balance and makes the architecture, design, and structures more

attractive to the eye. The main shrines hold the statues, sculpture, or imagery of the figure

being worshipped.

Both cultures are very fond of temples and the meaning it brings to their country and

culture, whether it is of life or death. The people living in that country go to these temples to

admire the architecture and to pay their respects to the important figures that have shaped

society and their culture, as well as tourists and visitors to learn more about their country. It does

not matter where you or we are from or what form of worship structure is in your or our country,

they all serve the similar purpose of remembering either real life people who have made an

impact on the country or worshipping a higher figure form that represents God.

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References

● US history, 2021, Egyptian social structure, Retrieved from.

https://www.ushistory.org/civ/3b.asp

● University of Memphis, 2019, Thebes- The temple of Hatshepsut, Retrieved from.

https://www.memphis.edu/egypt/resources/colortour/westbank3.php#

● Gulnaz Khan, 2018 National Geography- This Temple honors the Egypt Queen who

ruled as King. Retrieved from.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/luxor-temple-of-hatshepsut-theban-necropolis

● Catwright, M. (2017) Horyuji. World history Encyclopedia, Retrieved from.

https://www.worldhistory.org/Horyuji/

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Assignment 1- Comparative Design Paper
Name