cult temple

In ancient Egypt, a mortuary temple was a place of worship dedicated to a deceased king. These temples served as depositories for offerings intended for the dead monarch's sustenance in the afterlife.1

During the Old and Middle Kingdoms, mortuary temples were typically attached to the king's pyramid. They featured open courts, storerooms, shrines, and a chapel with an offering table where priests performed daily funerary rites for the king's ka (protective spirit).1

In the New Kingdom, as kings began to be buried in rock-cut tombs, separate mortuary temples continued to be built nearby. These temples were endowed with estates and lands to ensure perpetual religious services and offerings.1

While tombs were built as eternal dwellings for the dead, temples served as eternal houses for the gods. Both were primarily constructed from stone, whereas mud brick was used for domestic buildings and palaces.23