Mortuary temple

The temples were designed to commemorate the reign of the Pharaoh under whom they were constructed, as well as for use by the king's cult after death.

However, once the New Kingdom pharaohs began constructing tombs in the Valley of the Kings, they built their mortuary temples separately.

[2] The mortuary temples were also used as a resting place for the boat of Amun at the time of the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, during which the cult statue of the deity visited the west bank of Thebes.

It was a part of the king's job to ensure that these mortuary temples would be built for the gods.

The king wanted to build his mortuary temple so that he could continue to carry out his cult even after he died.

Mortuary temples were not made out of stone until the age of the Middle Kingdom.

Several other rulers of this dynasty built temples for the same purpose, the best known being those at Deir el-Bahari, where Hatshepsut built beside the funerary temple of Mentuhotep II,[4] and that of Amenhotep III, of which the only major extant remains are the Colossi of Memnon.

It is the only royal funerary temple from the time period to remain in good condition.

[5] Later rulers of the 18th Dynasty either failed to build here at all or, in the case of Tutankhamun, Ay, and Horemheb, their construction was not completed.

[6] Part of his "Glorious temple of Seti Merenptah in the field of Amun which resides at the West of Thebes" was dedicated to his father Ramesses I, whose short reign prevented him from building his own, and was completed by his son Ramesses II.

[10] The temple had gates, a hall, a courtyard, sphinxes and a list of Amenhotep III's achievements when he was king.

It is believed that this temple was also constructed for celebration hosted by Amenhotep III.

The temple had been flooded countless times since it was built leading to a lot of damage.

It is the only royal funerary temple from the time period to remain in good condition.

Hatshepsut inscribed her divine conception on the walls of the temple, describing that the god Amun fathered her.

[16] Later rulers of the 18th Dynasty either failed to build here at all or, in the case of Tutankhamun, Ay, and Horemheb, their construction was not completed.

Part of his "Glorious temple of Seti Merenptah in the field of Amun which resides at the "West of Thebes" was dedicated to his father Ramesses I, whose short reign prevented him from building his own, and was completed by his son Ramesses II.