The Temple of Ptah at Karnak Luxor Egypt | Facts Pharaonic Temples, Inscriptions & Plan and interior design and more about History Of Egyptian Civilization.

The Temple of Ptah at Karnak Luxor Egypt

Where is Ptah Temple?

The temple of Ptah is part of the Karnak complex and it lies to the north of the West-East axis of the Precinct of Amun-Re in Karnak Luxor, Egypt.

How to get to Ptah Temple?

The best and easiest way to get to Ptah temple is through the Great Hypostyle Hall. Once, you are there, there is an exit to the left side in the middle of the hall taking you outside the hall.

Go through the central part in the Middle of the Hypostyle Hall straight away on a sandy road. However, at the end of this sandy road to the right side is the entrance of Ptah temple.

Who was Ptah?

Ptah is the self-existence creator of all things, The creator god of Memphite Theology Unlike most Egyptian creator gods, Ptah himself is uncreated, having existed before anyone or anything. He willed the world into existence with the power of his mind, like a great conjuror of celestial proportions.

 

Here is how Ptah was described

  1. “He gave birth to the gods.
  2. He made the towns,
  3. He established the nomes,
  4. He placed the gods in their shrines,
  5. He settled their offerings,
  6. He established their shrines,
  7. He made their bodies according to their wishes.
  8. Thus, the gods entered into their bodies,
  9. Of every wood, every stone, every clay,
  10. Everything that grows upon him
  11. In which they came to be.
  12. Thus, were gathered to him all the gods and their kids,
  13. Content, united with the Lord of the Two Lands.”

Can we visit Ptah Temple and How Much does it cost to visit Ptah Temple?

Yes, Ptah temple is open to the public and it is included in the standard ticket of the Karnak complex.

Who Built?

Seems that the Ptah temple now was built on a site of an earlier temple from the Middle Kingdom. The famous Egyptian Pharoah Thutmose III built the present temple and Ptolemaic kings enlarged it later. For example, Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy XI, and Ptolemy XIII added new extensions to The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. Finally, Roman Emperor Tiberius was the last one added to the Ptah temple.

Why was the temple of Ptah built?

Generally speaking, the temples are the houses of the gods and the places where people can pray and practice their spiritual activities. Meanwhile, every Pharoah wanted to be famous, doing something known by his name and adding parts to the god house.

Ancient Egyptian temples were like mosques for Muslims, Churches for Christians, and Synagogues for Jewish. All these places were built for religious and spiritual activities.

Facts About Ptah Temple

  1. Ptah temple follows the sun axis West-East like the Amun Ra temple of Karnak
  2. The temple on the east bank of the Nile River.
  3. The Oldest known part of the temple dates back to Thutmose III.
  4. The temple of Ptah at Karnak is one of the major spots for the spiritual Egypt Palma Tours.
  5. The Holly of the Hollies of Ptah temple was dedicated to the triad of Memphis, Ptah, Sekhmet, and Nefertum.
  6. A black granite statue for the God Djehuty was discovered by Legrain
  7. Between the 4th and 5th gate, a large granite stela was found for Thutmose III
  8. There is a room for worshipping goddess Sekhmet together with other two rooms for Ptah and Nefertum
  9. As long as we know Egyptian temples started from in out, in other words, the oldest part of the temple is the last one. So, the temple was fully decorated in the reign of Thutmose III
  10. Statutes for Osiris, Isis, and other gods were found in this temple.
  11. The temple’s foundation stela was dedicated by Tuthmosis III.
  12. Ay and Horemheb decorated the 18th Dynasty southern elevation of the courtyard
  13. The temple features a lot of reused blocks from Merenptah, Hatshepsut and Ramesses III, and Tuthmosis III himself era.
  14. There is the naos base of Amenemhat I in front of the Holly of the Hollies
  15. Sandstone and limestone are the two materials used for the Ptah temple.
  16. Around the god Ptah statue were found 14 small figures for Osiris, 2 statutes for Mut and 4 Baboons statues, and 1 cat head for Bastet

Plan and interior design of the temple of Ptah | Ptah Temple Layout

  1. First Gateway
  2. Second Gateway
  3. Third Gateway
  4. Fourth Gateway
  5. Fifth Gateway
  6. Sixth Gateway
  7. Portico
  8. Ptolemaic staircase blocking the northern entrance of the courtyard
  9. Holly of the Hollies consists of 3 small chapels
    1. Ptah (Middle one)
    2. Sekhmet (the right one)
    3. Nefertum (left one)

Inscriptions of the walls of the Temple of Ptah at Karnak Luxor

We will start from the newest to the oldest as the newest part is from where we enter the temple.

First Gateway

On both sides of the gateway from the outside are cartouches for Ptolemy VI but the interior façade carried cartouches of Ptolemy XI, and Ptolemy XIII. Moreover, we can see a representation of the God Nefertum carrying the most holly flower Blue Lotus flower which is connected to the Creation Myth.

Second Gateway

The second gateway carries cartouches of Shabaka, a Nubian king who established the Twenty-fifth Dynasty in Lower Egypt and thus became the first of the “Ethiopian” pharaohs.

Third Gateway

The third Pylon or gateway carries the name of Ptolemy XII

Fourth Gateway

The fourth gateway like the second one has the names of the Nubian king Shabaka

Fifth Gateway

The fifth gateway carries Ptolemy III names and Tuthmosis III

Sixth Gateway

The sixth Gateway leads to the portico columns of Ptolemy III and Tuthmosis III.

Portico

Beautiful reliefs and pharaonic inscriptions cover the walls of the Portico such as

An amazing scene represents a line of 5 gods and goddesses including Amun Ra, Ptah, Khonsu, Mut, and Hathor.

A beautiful scene for Tuthmosis III in front of the Memphis triad Ptah, Sekhmet, and Nefertum

In another scene, the king offers Maat to Ptah

The King offers the sistrum to Hathor and her son Ihi

In another scene, the king is offering Maat to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu

The Holly of the Hollies of the Temple of Ptah at Karnak Luxor

The Holly of the Hollies is divided into 3 small chapels, the biggest is the middle one for the head of that triad God Ptah. While the one to the right for the consort of Ptah, Goddess Mut, and the left one for the son Nefertum.

Nefertum shrine is empty and the Ptah shrine has a statue of the god Ptah in his normal shape like a man sitting on the throne wrapped in a very tide garment wearing a skullcap and a false beard. Unfortunately, the head of the God Ptah is missing here

Do you want to be Sekhmetized?

 If you are a Sekhmet lover, so this place is for you. Sekhmet, the great transformational lion-headed goddess. All over Egypt, we found hundreds or thousands of Sekhmet statues and now they are everywhere in the Museums, in the Open-Air Museum in Karnak, in Mut temple but all were moved and seated.

The only standing, living statue of Sekhmet is the one right in her chapel in Ptah temple. Sekhmet’s name means Power, the Mighty One and always she appears like a woman’s body with a lioness’s head. She was the daughter of Ra, the Eye of Ra, the Lady of Flame, and the Great one of Magic. However, she is the protector, the healer, and the guide.

Sekhmet Chapel has so many to offer, but the most magnificent of these is to be yourself. The experience of complete self, Acceptance, and inner resonance.

You unify and become harmonious with all who you are and will have the opportunity to understand, accept, and love all of you. Then, you will reconnect to your signature energy and access your purpose.

If you like to learn more about spiritual life and activities, check our Egypt Spiritual Tours Packages, Meditation tours in Egypt, Spiritual Journey to Egypt, and Catholic Pilgrimages to Egypt. All this and more in our Luxor City Tours Packages.