Egyptian temples were built to commemorate the pharaohs and to support
the central functions of their religion: giving offerings to the gods,
reenacting their mythological interactions through festivals, and
warding off the forces of chaos. Rituals, it was believed, invoked the
divine presence, sustained the god, and enabled it to continue to uphold
the divine order of the universe. Temples were important religious sites
for all classes of Egyptians even though most people were forbidden from
entering their most sacred areas. They are among the largest and most
enduring examples of Egyptian architecture, with their elements arranged
and decorated according to complex patterns of religious symbolism. A
large temple could own sizable tracts of land and employ thousands of
laymen to supply its needs. Some temples, such as Abu Simbel, have
become tourist attractions that contribute significantly to the modern
Egyptian economy. Egyptologists continue to study the surviving temples
for their invaluable sources of information about ancient Egyptian
society.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_temple>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
634:
Arab–Byzantine wars: Rashidun Arabs under Khalid ibn al-Walid
captured Damascus from the Byzantine Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Damascus_(634)>
1777:
American Revolutionary War: British troops engaged American
forces at the first Battle of Saratoga in New York.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Saratoga>
1846:
Two French shepherd children, Mélanie Calvat and Maximin
Giraud, reported experiencing a Marian apparition on a mountaintop near
La Salette, France, now known as Our Lady of La Salette (statue
pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_La_Salette>
1970:
Greek student Kostas Georgakis set himself on fire in Genoa,
Italy, as a protest against the Greek military junta of Georgios
Papadopoulos.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kostas_Georgakis>
1991:
Ötzi, a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about
3300 BC, was discovered by two German tourists.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96tzi>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
shiver my timbers:
A mild oath expressing surprise, disbelief or annoyance. It is
stereotypically regarded as being uttered by pirates.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shiver_my_timbers>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Aren't there any grownups at all?
--William Golding
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Golding>