Temple of the World : Sanctuaries, Cults, and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt

Despite the prominence of ancient temples in the landscape of Egypt, books about them are surprisingly rare; this new and essential publication from a prominent Czech scholar answers the need for a study that goes beyond temple architecture to examine the spiritual, economic and political aspects of these specific institutions and the dominant roles they played. Miroslav Verner presents a deeper and more complex study of major ancient Egyptian religious centers, their principle temples, their rise and decline, their religious doctrines, cults, rituals, feasts, and mysteries. Also discussed are the various categories of priests, the organization of the priesthood, and its daily services and customs. Each chapter offers the reader essential and up-to-date information about temple complexes and the history of their archaeological exploration, in the context of the spiritual dimension and cultural legacy of ancient Egypt.

Miroslav Verner is an Egyptologist, archaeologist and epigrapher, who has been working in archaeological excavation and research in Egypt since 1964. He has published thirteen academic monographs, mainly in foreign languages, and over a hundred and twenty academic articles. For many years now he has contributed to polpularising Egyptology not only through many articles and half a dozen of books, but also in television programs and documentary films. He is currently directing the Czech archaeological excavations in Abusir.


Anna Bryson-Gustová, who has a BA and DPhil in history from Oxford University, has lived in the Czech Republic for twenty years. She is a writer, editor and translator in the field of history and culture.