Why were Akhenaten’s temples to the Aten built as open-air sanctuaries?

Akhenaten’s temples to the Aten were designed as open-air sanctuaries to facilitate the direct worship of the sun god in his natural form. Unlike traditional Egyptian deities, who were typically housed in small, darkened inner shrines, the Aten was represented as the solar disk itself.12

By constructing these temples as vast, open-air courts, Akhenaten ensured that rituals—such as the presentation of food offerings—could be performed in direct sunlight. This architectural choice reflected the core tenets of his religious reforms, which emphasized the sun’s life-sustaining power and the king’s unique, intimate connection to the deity. Because the Aten was the physical manifestation of the sun, the open-air design allowed the god to "bathe" the royal family in his rays, a theme frequently depicted in the temple reliefs.123