Karnak Temple
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| Interior of Temple |
Al-Karnak (in Ancient Egypt was named Ipet Sut, "the
most venerated place") is a small village in Egypt, located
on the banks of the River Nile some 2.5 km north of Luxor
(25°43'N 32°39'E). Visitors to the area – particularly foreign
tourists – perceive no distinction between Luxor and al-Karnak,
as the two are both parts of the same conurbation.
The Karnak Temple is twice the size of the built-up
village area, and it is the leading attraction in al-Karnak;
essentially this is al-Karnak, as the term Karnak is nearly
universally understood as the temple complex and not the village.
The temple area is a vast open-air museum and the
largest ancient religious site in the world, and is probably
the second most visited historical site in Egypt, second only
to the Giza Pyramids near Cairo.
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First pylon of precinct
of Amun |
It consists of four main parts, of which only one
is accessible for tourists and the general public. This is
also the "main" temple part and by far the largest part. One
can probably on that basis redefine the term Karnak, as to
be understood as being the Precinct of Amon-Re only, as this
is the only part most visitors normally see. The three other
parts are closed to the public.
There are also a few smaller temples and sanctuaries
located outside the enclosing walls of the four main parts,
as well as several avenues of ram-headed sphinxes connecting
the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amon-Re and Luxor Temple.
The key difference between Karnak and most of the
other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over
which it was developed and used. Construction work began in
the 16th century BC. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed
to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity
and diversity not seen elsewhere. Few of the individual features
of Karnak are unique, but the size and number of features
are overwhelming.
Precinct of Amun-Ra
This is the largest of the precincts of the temple
complex, and is dedicated to Amun-Ra, the chief god of the
Theban Triad. Construction of temples started in the Middle
Kingdom, and continued through to Ptolemaic times.
Precinct of Montu
Dedicated to the son of Amun-Re and Mut, Montu, the war-god of the Theban Triad. It is located to the north of the Amun-Re complex, and is much smaller in size. It is not open to the public.