The Importance Of The Great Nile River

The most unique feature of the Egyptian geography is the great Nile river, which runs the length of the country. Small towns and larger villages are connected by the great river which periodically brings life to the people from the recurrent inundation to the adjacent communities. A main reason why this recurring flood of water is so important is due to the area 's hot desert climate, from which the sun is the primary contributor. Consequently, the sun and the river have both a literal and religious role in the sustenance of Egypt’s people. This influence can be observed by examining the Egyptian places of worship which include sacred temples and tombs. Through the study of religious practice and architecture in Egypt, it is clear to see

Every year, the Nile river is flooded and has a major beneficial impact for the people living near the river banks. As a consequence of this periodic life-giving attribute of the river, an important emphasis can be observed in Egyptian religious beliefs. For example, in ancient Egyptian religion, Khnum is the early God of the flood and “Nun” is the religious representation of the watery abyss. A closer investigation of Khnum reveals that man is made of dirt and water and the Nun existed before creation and it is visualized as water which would then bring fertility and birth after the floodwaters. Upon further observation of the religious beliefs, we find that Hapy, the God of Inundation is also associated with the Nile river. Hapy is often represented using blue, symbolizing the color of water, with papyrus reeds on the head of the God.Ancient Egyptians believed that the Maat was the force that controlled nature to be regular and consistent, as well as the cosmos and the actions of the Gods and mortals. The inundation of the Nile (Hapy) was also defined as an indicator of the presence of the order (Maat) in the Egyptian religion. We can see from the previous examples how water played a significant role in the religious beliefs of the

In one of the pyramids, ancient texts reads, “The reed floats of Heaven are placed for this King Pepi, and he crosses by means of them to the horizon, to Ra.” (Abdel 97). In this instance, the king is representative of the Sun God on earth who has aspirations to reach the Sun God after his death using boats as a means of transportation. This passage shows us that the king who was deceased had the need to use a vessel to ferry him across the sky in order to reach the place the Sun God dwelt.. Furthermore, there are examples of water vessel architecture in the form of huge rock-cut boats which are located beside the pyramids. And lastly, ancient Egyptian wooden ships were recently found beside the Great Pyramid of Giza. More specifically, discoveries near the south side of the Great Pyramid of Cheops include two huge boats and three additional boat pits(Abdel 97). It is clear from the previously stated examples that the presence of boats and the importance of their construction and architecture was critical in not only the livelihood of the Egyptian people, but also in their religious