Pylon

A monumental gateway formed by two tapering towers flanking an entrance, especially at the entrance to an ancient Egyptian temple.

Ancient Egyptian temple: A sacred complex of buildings where ancient Egyptians worshipped deities and maintained their cults. Pylons commonly mark the entrance to this larger sacred complex.
Battered wall: A wall that slopes inward as it rises, making its base thicker than its top. The inward-sloping faces give pylon towers their characteristic taper.
First Pylon of the Temple of Isis: The monumental entrance gateway to the Temple of Isis on Philae, built during the Ptolemaic period. Its decorated towers provide a prominent surviving example of the form.
New Kingdom of Egypt: The period of ancient Egyptian history from about 1550 to 1070 BCE, marked by imperial expansion and major building projects. Many monumental temple pylons were erected during this period.
Obelisk: A tall, four-sided stone monument with a tapering shaft and pyramid-shaped top. Obelisks often stood before pylons, framing the temple approach.
Relief sculpture: Sculpture in which forms project from or are cut into a supporting surface. Carved reliefs covered pylon faces with royal and religious imagery.
Luxor Temple: An ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile at Thebes. Its entrance pylon was built by Ramesses II and fronts a major processional route.
Ptolemaic Kingdom: A Hellenistic kingdom ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt from 305 to 30 BCE. Its rulers continued Egyptian temple building and produced some of the best-preserved pylons.
Sphinx avenue: A processional road lined with sphinx statues, connecting important ancient Egyptian temples. Such avenues could lead directly to a temple pylon.
Solar alignment: The deliberate orientation of a structure in relation to the Sun’s position or path. The pylon’s central axis could organize light and movement through the temple.

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