Karnak Temple



The avenue of sphinxes


Really a complex of temples, built over 1500 years, Karnak is overwhelming in it's size and beauty. It has a total circumference of over 2.5 miles (4 km)! I haven't included any pictures of the temple itself deliberately - no small 2-dimensional representation can do any justice to the immensity of Karnak. You have to see it "in the flesh" to really experience it. This temple was the spiritual and cultural centre of the Egypt of the Pharaohs, dedicated to Amun-Ra, the King of the Gods.

The highlights here include the largest surviving obelisk in Egypt, two temples for the Theban trinity of Gods, and the amazing Great Hypostyle Hall, with 134 columns! Because of the sheer size of the site, careful planning is needed if you want to go on a solo visit. Maps of the site are readily available and invaluable. A guided tour is probably also essential - if we had stayed on for a second week in Luxor, we would have wanted to go back to Karnak ourselves and spent a whole day, or even more, wandering round it. The "Son et Lumiere" presentation in the evening is also a high priority, with narration by Sir Richard Burton, no less!

      Ram-headed Sphinx at Karnak

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