<P> An elaborate series of foundation rituals preceded construction . A further set of rituals followed the temple's completion, dedicating it to its patron god . These rites were conducted, at least in theory, by the king as part of his religious duties; indeed, in Egyptian belief all temple construction was symbolically his work . In reality, it was the work of hundreds of his subjects, conscripted in the corvée system . The construction process for a new temple, or a major addition to an existing one, could last years or decades . </P> <P> The use of stone in Egyptian temples emphasized their purpose as eternal houses for the gods and set them apart from buildings for the use of mortals, which were built of mudbrick . Early temples were built of brick and other perishable materials, and most of the outlying buildings in temple enclosures remained brick - built throughout Egyptian history . The main stones used in temple construction were limestone and sandstone, which are common in Egypt; stones that are harder and more difficult to carve, such as granite, were used in smaller amounts for individual elements like obelisks . The stone to build a temple might be quarried nearby or shipped on the Nile from quarries elsewhere . </P> <P> Temple structures were built on foundations of stone slabs set into sand - filled trenches . Walls and other structures were built with large blocks of varying shapes . The blocks were laid in courses, usually without mortar . Each stone was dressed to fit with its neighbors, producing cuboid blocks whose uneven shapes interlocked . The interiors of walls were often built with less care, using rougher, poorer - quality stones . To build structures above ground level, the workers used construction ramps . When cutting chambers in living rock, workers excavated from the top down, carving a crawlspace near the ceiling and cutting down to the floor . Once the temple structure was complete, the rough faces of the stones were dressed to create a smooth surface . In decorating these surfaces, reliefs were carved into the stone or, if the stone was of too poor quality to carve, a layer of plaster that covered the stone surface . Reliefs were then decorated with gilding, inlay, or paint . The paints were usually mixtures of mineral pigments with some kind of adhesive, possibly natural gum . </P> <P> Temple construction did not end once the original plan was complete; pharaohs often rebuilt or replaced decayed temple structures or made additions to those still standing . In the course of these additions, they frequently dismantled old temple buildings to use as fill for the interiors of new structures . On rare occasions this may have been because the old structures or their builders had become anathema, as with Akhenaten's temples, but in most cases the reason seems to have been convenience . Such expansion and dismantling could considerably distort the original temple plan, as happened at the enormous Precinct of Amun - Re at Karnak, which developed two intersecting axes and several satellite temples . </P>

The interiors of egyptian temples often included halls with