Temple Foundation Ceremonies

Stages in the rituals
of foundation/or an Egyptian
temple. The king 'stretches the
cord' to lay out the new temple
site with the help 0/ the
goddess of writing and
measurement, scatters
purifying gypsum into the
area and digs the foundation
trenches - all symbolically.

Construction of all religious buildings in ancient Egypt began with ceremonies which were of very ancient origin. Comparison of texts and representations from many sites show that the complete foundation ceremonies consisted of as many as ten discrete rites, most of which were enacted before actual construction could begin. In theory, the rites were conducted by the king himself, assisted by various deities, and consisted of:
1 Fixing the plan of the building by 'stretching the cord'
2 Scattering gypsum on the assigned area to purify it
3 Digging the first foundation trench
4 Pouring sand into the foundation trench
5 Moulding the first brick or bricks
6 Placement of foundation deposits at the corners of the structure, etc.
7 Initiation of the work of building
8 Purification of the completed temple
9 Presentation of the temple to its intended deities

10 Offering of sacrifices
Late texts, such as that found in the Ptolemaic temple at Edfu, include other aspects of the king's performance such as departing from the palace and arriving at the site of the new temple.
The ten elements set out here include all the essential rites of earlier lists such as that of Tuthmosis Ill depicted on the walls of the Small Temple at Medinet Habu. Of all these rituals, the first known as thepedj-shes or 'stretching the cord' -was of particular importance. Originally simply one of the foundation rites, pedj-shes became by extension the name of the whole group of foundation ceremonies monies, or at least those which preceded the actual work of construction. The rite involved the card. orientation of the temple by astronomical observation  and measurement. Apparently this was usually accomplished by sighting the stars of a northern circumpolar constellation through a notched wooden instrument called a merkhet, and thus
acquiring a true north-south orientation which was commonly used for the temple's short axis. According to the texts, the king was assisted in this ritual by Seshat or Sefkhet-Abwy, the scribal goddess writing and measurement, though the actual alignment  was probably ascertained by personnel at a time conducive to observation prior to the beginning of the ceremonies. It may thus only have been acted out symbolically by the king in the performance of the ritual. While it is impossible without specific information to know how many of these foundation activities actually conducted by the pharaoh in the building of a specific temple, in theory each was the king's prerogative. Indeed, all stages of temple construction were performed at least symbolical.

Source: Wilkinson, The complete temples of ancient Egypt