KARNAK TEMPLE

HISTORY

The great Karnak temple complex is considered to be one of the largest religious sites in the world covering over 200 acres on the Nile’s east bank in modern day Luxor. The Ancient Egyptians called Karnak Nesut-Towi, ‘Throne of the Two Lands’, Ipet-Iset, ‘The Finest of Seats’, and Ipt-Swt, ‘Selected Spot’ with Ipt-Swt being a reference to the belief that Thebes was the first city founded on the primordial mound.

Karnak is comprised of multiple temples that were built over a span of 2,000 years starting in the Middle Kingdom with the pharaoh Senusret I and continuing through the Ptolemaic Period. The construction and expansion of the Karnak temples parallels the building projects of the 4th dynasty pharaohs at Giza in Lower Egypt. Within the complex, the largest temple is dedicated to Amun - king of the gods -  while several of the smaller temples were dedicated to the gods Osiris, Montu, Khonsu, and Ptah and the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Towards the end of the 18th dynasty, there was one temple dedicated to the god Aten but it was destroyed after the reign of Akhenaten when Ancient Egyptians resumed the worship of Amun. Furthermore, several temples were constructed to honor the pharaohs Senusret I, Amenophis II, and Ramesses II. 

FAST FACTS

The god Amun is part of the Theban Triad along with his wife Mut and their son Khonsu, the moon god. Amun rose in importance during the New Kingdom when his name was merged with that of the sun god Ra to become Amun-Ra, King of the Gods. Amun’s temple is the main structure at Karnak while Mut has a smaller temple bordering a sacred lake in the Southern Temple Precinct. Khonsu’s temple is south of the Temple of Amun near the Gateway of Euergetes I (Euergetes was a king during Ptolemaic Period). 

The temple complex has 10 pylons: one through six have an east-west orientation leading towards the Nile while pylons seven through ten were built at a right angle to the first six. Pylon 1 was actually the last to be constructed but the project was never completed; the north tower is a little over 30 feet shorter than the south tower and portions of the mud brick ramps used during construction are still visible in the first courtyard. Another sign of incompletion is the lack of inscriptions on the pylon. 

The pylon that was never completed as seen by
the height difference and lack of inscriptions. 

Behind the tree, one sees a portion of the
mud brick ramp used during construction.

A set of incomplete columns in the courtyard. 

One of the finest components of the Temple of Amun is the ‘Great Hypostyle Hall’  between the 2nd and 3rd pylon. The hall is comprised of 134 columns that were built to resemble papyrus stalks with those in the middle having capitals depicting open papyrus blossoms. The 12 columns that support the central nave have a height of 70 feet (21 meters) while the other columns measure 40 feet (12 meters). 

The 12 tallest columns with the capitals
depicting open papyrus blossoms. 

The smaller columns in the hypostyle hall. 

In the top center, one sees 'windows' that
were built to allow sunlight to enter the hall. 

The bright colors still visible on
the remaining sections of roof. 

King Seti I started the construction of the Great Hypostyle Hall and the project was completed by his son, Pharaoh Ramesses II. 

Historical reliefs on the outer walls depict the military campaigns of Seti I and Ramesses II in ancient Syria, Canaan, Lebanon, and Libya. 

The pharaoh depicted with the defeated enemies.

The Sacred Lake near the Temple of Amun is the largest in Egypt measuring 393 feet (120 meters) by 252 feet (77 meters). It was dug during the reign of Thutmosis III. 

The sacred lake. 

In ancient times, Karnak was connected to the Temple of Luxor via a 2 mile “Avenue of Sphinxes”. Today, archaeologists are uncovering portions of the avenue and restoring the sphinxes. 

Several obelisks were erected at Karnak; however, only two remain - those of Queen Hatshepsut and her son Thutmosis III. Queen Hatshepsut’s obelisk is currently the tallest surviving obelisk in Egypt and it is made of pink granite. When she died, her son ordered that the obelisk be covered in stone which in turn helped preserve the structure. 

Queen Hatshepsut's obelisk - top, middle, and bottom.

Towards the end of the New Kingdom, over 80,000 priests were employed at Karnak with the high priests being wealthier than the pharaoh. 

Karnak was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. 

UNESCO is one of the organizations
that supports restoration projects in Egypt.

VISITING KARNAK 

Visiting modern day Luxor is akin to stepping into a time machine and journeying to an era when pharaohs ruled the land. A drive around the Nile’s east bank affords the opportunity to see the ruins of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor and upon crossing the river, one gets a glimpse of mortuary temples and the cliffs that house the royal tombs at the Valley of the Kings. 

Karnak is included on most tour itineraries and there always seems to be a steady crowd at the complex. My first trip to Karnak was in 2010 with Contiki and it was included in the cost; now, the company lists the site as an optional tour. On my recent trip with Trafalgar, Karnak was one of the 18 sites requiring an admission ticket that was included in the tour price. Both tours covered the same areas of the complex but Trafalgar provided free time at the end of the guided tour for us to take additional pictures and walk around the Temple of Amun at our own pace. My tour guide with Trafalgar was extremely knowledgeable sharing considerable information on the history and construction of the various structures within the Karnak complex.  

The model of Karnak found at the visitor's center. 

An aerial view of Karnak. 

My two visits to Karnak were during the late morning hours and there were sizeable crowds at that time. The crowds didn’t affect my ability to enjoy the tour but it was a hassle to take certain pictures without having hundreds of folks in the way. I have read that the complex opens at 6:00 AM so it may be worth for those traveling independently to visit Karnak at day break before the arrival of the tour groups. This will allow for better pictures and provide the opportunity to take in the beauty of the temples in silence. I recommend allotting at least 3 hours when visiting Karnak given the amount of temples one can visit plus the size of the complex. 

The admission ticket to the complex. 

The vendors at Karnak are all situated at the exit near the parking lot. Also, in my two visits, I did not see any independent guides within the complex trying to solicit business. This makes the visit to Karnak more enjoyable when compared to Giza where you have touts and guides constantly chasing you.

NOTE The ground at Karnak is relatively even so those with mobility issues should not have a problem in that regard; however, a visit to the complex requires a lot of walking and I did not see seats at the site where one could take a break. 

My favorite part of Karnak is the Great Hypostyle Hall - very difficult to put into words the feeling of awe one experiences walking around the gigantic columns covered in hieroglyphs and seeing the sections of roof painted in bright hues. And what makes it that much more amazing is the fact that the Ancient Egyptians built everything with simple tools and machinery. 

Some of the smaller columns in the hypostyle hall. 

The Avenue of Sphinxes one passes
walking towards the Temple of Amun. 

Inscriptions covering one of the
outer walls of the Temple of Amun.

A sacred scarab - walk around
it 7 times for good luck!

My travel buddy Albert sitting at the base
of one of the columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall.