The Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple is the largest Template in the whole world, Karnak Temple is located in Luxor in the East Bank, it is considered to be the ancient Egyptian principal religious center in the new kingdom, it contains many of temples such as Khonso’s temple, Amon Ra’s temple, Ptah’s temple, Ipt’s temple, God Osiris’ temple and the Temple of Montho, surrounded all of those you will find the high mud brick, it is about 20 meters high.
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The meaning of “Al-Krank” in the Arabic language was derived from word Karnak, and the Karnak mean the fortified village, maybe because they found many temples in the area when they come, also the Amon Ra’s temple known in the middle kingdom time as “Ipt-Swt” meaning the “Selected Spot” also known by “Pr-Imm” which means “House of Amon”.
Twenty ram-headed of Sphinxes on each side of the entrance to the temple which were built for the protection of the temple, the first Pylon at the end of the way from the small harbour, which built in the king Nektanebo I during 30th Dynasty age, after crossing this Pylon will be in the open court which built during the 22nd Dynasty, it is a wide open court by 100 meters long and 80 meters wide, and it contains a lot of columns of rows of bud papyrus.
The huge column in the first open court is about 21 meters high with bud papyrus capital, this part is known by “Kiosk of Taharqa” and he is a king during 25th Dynasty age, and this column the only remain from total around 10 columns in this area.
On the right side, you will find Ramses III’s temple, and it contains a Hypostyle hall and as open court towards to the sanctuary, also a small Pylon.
On the left side, you will find three chapels which built for the Triad of Thebes by the King Seti II, then you pass to the second Pylon to the Great Hypostyle Hall, also it is a wide hall with 103 meters long and 52 meters high, there are about 134 columns of papyrus, each column around 22 meters high and 3.5 meters in diameter which built by King Seti, Ramses I, Ramses II, Seti I and Amenhotep III, by building the center ceiling higher than laterals it allows light passing easily to the area, passing through the Hypostyle Hall to reach the third Pylon which belong to Amenhotep III.
After the third Pylon, you will find the Court of Tuthmosis I, which is an opened rectangular court, and it is contains two obelisks for Tuthmosis I, one of them only has survived, it is about 310 tons weight and 19 meters high.
The fourth Pylon were built by Tuthmosis I, also consist a rectangular colonnade, when Hatshepsut became the ruler she built two obelisks in this place then when Tuthmoses III came to the throne, he built a high building surrounded the obelisks to hide them, “Tuthmosis I” built also the fifth Pylon, but it is damage and on the sides of the entrance, there are 2 small rooms built by Tuthmosis III.
Tuthmosis III, who built the 6th Pylon, and beyond this Pylon he built the famous hall “the Ancestral Room”, they used the granite to build the sanctuary, and it was for he sacred boat of “Amon-Ra”, behind it you will find the court, it was a wide one but unfortunately it is damaged now.
Then the Tuthmosis III’s festival hall “Akh-Mnw”, another one located in the northern side is known by “The Botanical Room”.
By crossing the seventh Pylon to the beyond court, you will find the two statues of Tuthmosis III and Ramses II.
The eighth Pylon with built by Queen Hatshepsut and decorated by king Tuthmosis III & restored by king Seti I, the facade on the front represent different deities with Queen Hatshepsut.
The King Horemheb, who built the Ninth Pylon, but, unfortunately, it is damaged.
The Temple of Karnak
Finally the tenth Pylon, which were damaged but rebuilt by Horemheb, and in the front of it, you will find remains of an avenue of sphinxes, also built by Horemheb.
Opening Hours: 06:00 am – 17:30 pm.
LOCATION: The Karnak Temple is about 2.5 Kilometers north of the central of Luxor in the East Bank.
Check also in Luxor: Valley of The Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, The Colossi of Memnon.
