Me, being a huge fan of anything and everything Egyptian was very excited to find this place. It was built in 1921 to be used as a meeting place for Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The same person that designed the Bellingrath Home (also in Mobile) designed this building, George Bigelow Rogers. The building was inspired by the architecture of Karnak, and has many features seen in Ancient Egyptian architecture. Two sphinxes are on either said of the door. And two obelisk site atop the building, (these were orginally used at chimneys). The Temple is the only remaining Egyptian revival style building in the city.
When I went to see this building I was thinking that I would get to see the outside of it and take a few photos and be done. I was shooting for a school project and needed something different as far as architecture goes. I got there and while I was shooting a man noticed me, and I realized
that he was waiting to put up a banner on the building. He came over and we started talking and he was telling me that he actually has a store in the Temple. It's a train store, he sells train cars and other things. This was a couple years ago so I'm not sure if he's still there, but if he is go to the Temple on a Thursday and you may get to go inside. I went inside and the inside is beautiful, and yet a little creepy. It's not a place I would want to be by myself. The floor when you walk in has some very detailed tile and design. I am not sure what the meaning was, but it looks like something I don't want to stand in the middle of. The store owner also show me some secret passages, that are in between the walls. I was not brave enough to travel down them to see what was there or even just to say I did. I have a couple of photos of the outside however these photos do not so the building justice, they are simple scanned copies of on contact sheets. If you're in Mobile make sure you stop by and see it, even if it's not on a day when you can go inside. It's located at the corner of N Claiborne and St. Francis Street.
