
Contents
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Introduction Introduction
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The pyramids and the solarization of the Pharaoh The pyramids and the solarization of the Pharaoh
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The light in the temples The light in the temples
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The dark in the temples The dark in the temples
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A special case: the horizon of the Aten A special case: the horizon of the Aten
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Conclusions Conclusions
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References References
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22 Lighting the Good Life: The Role of Light in the Aristocratic Housing System duringLate Antiquity
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13 The Beautiful Face of Ra: The Role of Sunlight in the Architecture of Ancient Egypt
Get accessGiulio Magli is Full Professor of Archaeoastronomy and head of the Department of Mathematics at the Politecnico of Milan, Italy. His research activity first developed in relativistic astrophysics, but for many years he has focused on archaeoastronomy, with a special interest in the relationship between architecture, landscape, and astronomical lore of ancient cultures, especially among the ancient Egyptians but also among the Incas, in Asia and in the Mediterranean. As well as several papers, he has published Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt (Cambridge University Press, 2013), Archaeoastronomy: Introduction to the Science of Stars and Stones (Springer, 2017), and Sacred Landscapes of Imperial China (Springer, 2020). He was one of the authors of the UNESCO document on astronomical heritage, and has conducted archaeological survey missions on Pre-Nuragic Sardinia and Egypt.
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Published:05 April 2018
Cite
Abstract
In the famous projects of ancient Egyptian architecture, sunlight had always a special role. An expert use of light and shadows helped in creating halls filled with sacredness in many temples; but most of all the Sun was the visible face of Ra, the Sun God. As a consequence, religious and funerary architectural projects were connected with the sun rays on special days of the year through astronomical alignments. The chapter focuses on a few key examples—the Akhet hierophanies at Giza and Amarna, and the winter solstice alignment at Karnak—showing the potentialities of modern archaeoastronomy in understanding key aspects of ancient Egyptian monuments and religion.
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