Gods and temples
The ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia were among the first to practise organized religion. People worshipped many gods, each one responsible for a different area of life. Gods were worshipped in large tempest, staffed by priests. In these and in other early civilizations, organized religion was a powerful unifying force.
God of the Sun, shown in many different forms, often with a solar disc on his head.
...
Festivals
Gods each had their own festivals, when their statues were carried in processions. Music played a major role. The sistrum, a metal rattle, was used in ceremonies for the goddesses Hathor and Isis (goddesses of motherhood and magic).
...
Egyptian gods
Egyptian gods took the form of animals, humans, and sometimes a mixture of the two. Re-Horakhty, above, combined the features of Ra and Horus.
Horus
God of the Sky and the protector of the Pharaoh, shown as a falcon or a falcon-headed man.
Thoth
God of wisdom and writing, shown as a baboon or an ibis. or a man with their heads.
Khnum
God of pottery who made the first humans out of clay, shown with a ram's head.
Hathor
Goddess of joy and music, shown as a woman with the ears or head of a cow.
...
Mesopotamian gods
The gods of Mesopotamia were represented in human form. Although there were hundreds of them, the most important were the patrons of major cities. The gods are known by two names. They have a Sumerian name which was used until the second millennium BCE, and then later an Akkadian name.
Enki / Ea
God of freshwater, mischief, and crafts and patron of the city of Eridu.
Inanna / Ishtar
Goddess of love, war, and the planet Venus, and the patron of Uruk.
Nanna / sin
God of the moon, patron of Ur, and known as father of the gods.
Ningirsu / Ninurta
God of war and rainstorms and patron of the neighbouring cities of Girsu and lagash.
...
Incense
Both the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians believed that their gods loved sweet-smelling incense. This was a mix of resin, wood, herbs, and spices imported from Arabia, which they burned. Its fragrant smoke was an offering to the gods.
Worshipper statuses
Ordinary Mesopotamians visited their temples with offerings, such as animals to sacrifice, to please their gods. They left pray continually to the god on their behalf. These reveal that the Mesopotamians clasped their hands together when prying.
Ziggurat of Ur
From around 2200 BCE, Mesopotamian temple complexes included tall stepped towers called Ziggurats. These may have represented a sacred mountain, or a ladder for the god to climb up to heaven. They dominated the flat landscape, a visible reminder of the power of the god and the people who had built the temple.
...
Key events
5300 BCE
The oldest known Sumerian temple, to Enki, the god of fresh water, was built in Eridu, Mesopotamia. It was called the "House of the cosmic water"
2600 BCE
Temple of Ra, the Egyptian Sun god, was built in Heliopolis. Ra was the most important god worshipped during the old Kingdom.
2200 BCE
The first Ziggurat was built in Mesopotamia. They were made of mud bricks, faced with glazed bricks and tiles.
2055-1985 BCE
The earliest-known temple to Amun-Re, Mut, and Montu, was built at karnak in Thebes.
1550- 1295 BCE
During the new Kingdom, when Thebes became the the capital of Egypt. Amun-Re became chief god and his temple at karnak was massively.
پانویس
جعبه تزیینی معروف به «استاندارد اور»
این اثر که یکی از نمونههای مهم هنر سومری است و در جنوب بین النهرین در یکی از مقبرههای سلطنتی (اور) بهدست آمدهاست.
جعبه تزیینی معروف به «استاندارد اور» که اکنون در موزه بریتانیا نگهداری میشود، ۲۶۰۰ سال پیش از میلاد؛ چرخ را بعنوان وسیله نقلیه نشان میدهد.
سایت همنشین بهار
http://www.hamneshinbahar.net