When talking about the basic type of Egyptian temple, it is all about heavy columns, walls, pylons, big courts, and the use of axis, symmetrically and made of stones or mud bricks. The organization of the plan of Egyptian temple is rectangular, symmetrical and set on the longitudinal axis approaching through courts and halls. From the rear to the entrance of the temple, each court is being bigger than the former one. Moreover, the temple mostly emphasizes the viewer with the design of its frontal approach.

One of the famous Egyptian temples is the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. It was built by her vizier Senenmut about 1478-1458 B.C. in the New Kingdom period and was a funerary temple, dedicated to Amun and other deities. The structure of this outstanding temple is quite different from the Old Kingdom pyramids. Compare to the columns of Step Pyramid of King Djoser, columns of the Hatshepsut temple is freestanding rather than set into the wall. This temple was cut into the mountain and consisted of three large courts on ascending levels towards the base of the cliffs, linked by axial ramps among long colonnades. The reason that made this Hatshepsut temple became one of the monumental Egyptian buildings was its magnificent union of architecture and nature. The ramps and colonnades of this temple successfully echo the shape of the cliff of the impressive mountain behind. Another example, which also shows the characteristic of general type of Egyptian temples, is the Temple of Amun-Mut-Khonsu at Luxor. This temple is dedicated to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, built by Amenhotep III about 1350 B.C. It was extended and completed more than a century later. This temple was characterized by the massive pylon in the entrance, courts, and halls. All these parts were enclosed by high walls.

In Mesopotamia, " the land between two rivers", there are also some large monumental temples. For example, at the Uruk the temple of Anu, it was built about 3500 B.C.-3000 B.C, dedicated to their local god "Anu". Mesopotamian believed their local gods could bring them the labor power of population and products, so they relied the "theocratic socialism" as their economic society system. Therefore, the dominant role of the temple was the center of both spiritual and physical existence. The temple of Anu was called "White Temple", because the walls of this temple were whitewashed in the exterior. It also is known as a ziggurat temple because it is located on the top of an artificial mountain. This Anu ziggurat temple, built a solid core of mud brick, is typically Mesopotamian architecture plan. Around the temple, stairs and ramps lead up to the platform makes it like a heaven. The reason of these kind of structure was the Sumerian felt they could provide a fit dwelling place for their deities only by creating their own artificial mountain.

The differences between Egyptian and Mesopotamian temple can be seen easily. In contrast to the Egyptian basic temple style, Mesopotamian temple was built with mud brick and wood instead of using stone, so that their temples could not last longer than the "eternity" temple of Egyptian except their foundations. Moreover, Mesopotamian temple is arranged round large and small courts, narrow space and thick wall, but no columns against the tall huge columns and wide space of Egyptian temple. Also, Using "bent-axis approach" structure style instead of "single-axis approach" style of Egyptian temple. However, both of these two different temples are also symmetrically and geometrically on the plan.