Egypt

The Egyptians believed that before the world was created, all that was, were the waters of chaos whose name was Nun. It was out of the waters that the first dry land arose, and on this piece of dry land, known as the primeval mound, Atum, the sun god and ruler of the gods, emerged and he then created his children Shu, lord of the upper sky, and Tefun, the goddess of moisture. It is thought that from this myth that the pyramids were born; archaeologists found a pyramid shaped stone called Benben, in on of the earliest temples, it is thought to symbolize the hill from which the Egyptians believed life emerged. To them, the pyramid represented the first piece of dry land that rose from the waters of chaos and the tomb inside was a representation and reminder of the creation of life. When the pharaoh died, they believed that a small part of the soul that did not go to the afterlife remained in the body, and if the pharaoh did not receive proper mummification, he would not be able to carry out his responsibilities as the new king of the dead. Everything he would need in his afterlife was put into his tomb with him like; clay pots, gold, food, furniture, and small doll versions of servants, called ushabti. If it were not for the Egyptians intense dedication to their religion, some of the most famous monuments in Egypt today, would have never existed.
Temples, much like pyramids, were built to last for hundreds of years and were also believed to represent the primeval mound. The larger temples usually were separated into three main parts: a courtyard where common people were allowed to pay their respects to the gods. The second part was a more provate room that was reserved for kings, pharaohs, and sometimes the noble family, and the third part was for the priests only. Inside there was a statue of the god of that temple, which was usually cast in bronze and covered or inlaid with gold as the Egyptians believed that gold was the skin of the gods. When a new temple was...