Ancient Egyptian Temples were believed to be the dwelling places of the Egyptian Gods. Only the Pharaoh and the Priests were allowed inside the temples and the priests would undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the Inner Sanctum of the Temples. This not only cleansed them but also gave them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temples to pay homage and offer gifts to the Gods. The Priests would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the confines of the temples.

The priests would conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes referred to as spells. The temples would consist of heavy gates which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be burnt to purify the air of the Temples. The chambers gradually decreased in size, the lighting in the temples was deliberately and significantly reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed a great statue to the god to whom the temple was dedicated.