Introduction : temple, land and cosmos -- Map -- Chronology of the temple builders -- I. Houses of eternity : development, glory and decline -- II. Buildings fit for gods : construction, growth and change -- III. Worlds within worlds : the parts of the temple and their meaning -- IV. Between heaven and earth : the religious functions of the temple -- V. Temples of gods and kings : a journey up the Nile -- Epilogue : exploration and conservation today -- Visiting the temples -- Further reading -- Illustration credits -- Acknowledgments -- Index.