Karnak is a huge temple complex, covering 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 Great 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 and hundreds of thousands of workers to complete, Karnak lay buried under the sand until excavation began in the mid-19th century.
Leaving Karnak, we drove two miles along the Nile to the Luxor Temple in the center of the city. Like Karnak, archaeologists have been digging at the site since the mid-19th century. The Luxor Temple and the Karnak were once connected by an avenue of sphinxes. Much of the Luxor Temple was built by the New Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep III. Today it is a beehive of activity, with the Luxor bazaar directly behind the Luxor Temple and all sorts of shops and tourist restaurants nearby. The Temple of Luxor is not as large as site as Karnak, but the statues, hieroglyphics, pillars, and obelisks are just as impressive.
We returned to the hotel, had dinner outside by the Nile River, and readied ourselves for the Valley of the Kings the next day.
