WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Most Ancient Egyptian temples possessed a hypostyle hall. Hypostyle is an Ancient Greek term denoting a building having rows of columns supporting its roof. As befitting a “divine mansion, ‘’ Egyptian temples were imposing structures often built of stone on a large scale. Some even had two or more hypostyles.

Detailed explanation-2: -The word hypostyle means “having a roof or ceiling supported by rows of columns.” The ultimate purpose of the Karnak Hypostyle Hall’s 134 massive columns is to carry the load of an equally massive roof. Although flooded with sunlight today, in antiquity, the Hall was somewhat gloomy.

Detailed explanation-3: -Scenes of religious rituals were carved into the walls. Only the important priests and the pharaoh were allowed to enter the hypostyle hall. This room would have been used for performing religious rituals.

Detailed explanation-4: -In many mosques, especially the early congregational mosques, the prayer hall has the hypostyle form. One of the finest examples of the hypostyle-plan mosques is the Great Mosque of Kairouan (also called the Mosque of Uqba) in the city of Kairouan, Tunisia.

Detailed explanation-5: -Inside the Hypostyle Hall, religious themes prevail, with pictorial scenes showing Pharaoh in the company of Egypt’s gods. A seemingly endless progression of religious scenes unfolds on every wall, column, and gateway, each depicting the king performing some ritual act in the presence of one or more gods.