Compare Temples

Interestingly, Egyptian temples bear similarities with Greek temples, and these in turn share striking resemblances with Jewish temple architecture. Not to be outdone, Christian religious architecture completes the circle.

All four religious architectural types share the characteristic of the path. In Christian contexts this is known as the "royal road" because the entrance and altar area are connected in a straight line. While Egyptian, Greek, and Jewish temples placed their altars outside the temples, the corresponding holy part was the shrine. Compare how these different cultures emphasize the same basic axial plan, connecting in a straight line the entrance and the inner shrine.