Ptolemaic Temple Complex

Great temple complexes and monuments were built and rebuilt throughout Egypt by all the Ptolemaic pharaohs as a sign of their right to rule and continued dominance. By celebrating heaven the Ptolemies could claim divine sanction for their continued rule, and give public respect to the beliefs of common Egyptians. With many Greek colonists entering Egypt, the new temples also helped bring the two peoples together as one nation. Temples to Isis and Horus were deliberately placed next to those to Hellenised gods such as Zeus Ammon and Serapis, and connections between both pantheons were clearly made for worshippers. Alexandria featured the greatest of these new complexes but other sites, such as the Philae or Thebes, were also rebuilt to suit the political and religious needs of the Ptolemies.