Travel

Temples of Karnak at Luxor

Large Pharaonic Site Has Ancient Temples, Chapels, Pylons and Obelisks

Karnak covers over 100 acres on the east bank of the Nile north of Luxor. Many think this site is the second most important in Egypt, only surpassed by the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza near Cairo.

Karnak includes a huge temple of Amun, the king of the gods, along with many other smaller temples and obelisks. Taking over 1300 years to complete, Karnak lay buried under the sand until excavation began in the mid-19th century. The site is still being worked today by archaeologists. The size of Karnak is impressive, especially when you remember that it was all built by hand, with hundreds of thousands of workers.

Visitors should return to Karnak in the evening to see the sound and light show. The voices of the past boom through loud speakers over the site, and the lights and shadows give Karnak an eerie appearance.

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Entrance to Karnack through Rows of Sphinxes	Luxor - Close-up Look at Sphinx at the Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Large Statue of Pharaoh at the Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Temples of Karnak at Luxor
Luxor - Wall at Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Colossus of Ramses II at the Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Hieroglyphic Carving on Pillar at Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temples of Karnak
Luxor - Pillars at the Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Obelisk at Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Sacred Lake at Temples of Karnak at Luxor	Luxor - Scarab Beetle at Temples of Karnak at Luxor