Discover Karnak Temple
Ever wonder what it would be like to visit the world's largest ancient religious site and outdoor museum? There is something simply awe inspiring about walking through the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak Temple. The hall covers an area of 50,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows, 122 of these columns are 10 meters tall, and the other 12 are 21 meters tall with a diameter of over three meters and all of the columns are decorated with hyroglifics.
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Wikipedia - The Karnak Temple Complex comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began in the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex gives its name to the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5 km north of Luxor.
The complex is a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world. It is believed to be the second most visited historical site in Egypt; second only to the Giza Pyramids near Cairo. It consists of four main parts of which only the largest is currently open to the general public. The term Karnak often is understood as being the Precinct of Amun-Re only, because this is the only part most visitors normally see. The three other parts, the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Montu, and the dismantled Temple of Amenhotep IV, are closed to the public. There also are a few smaller temples and sanctuaries connecting the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amun-Re, and the Luxor Temple.
Tip for visiting the Temple - There are many locals who work the temple giving tourist unsolicited information with the expectation of getting tips. Either be sure to carry small change for tips if you want the guidence or refuse their help to avoid problems.
Where I Stayed
Sheraton Luxor Resort
Al Awameya · P.O. Box 43
Luxor 83951 · Egypt
Phone: 20 95 2274544
Canada, call: 1-800-325-3535
www.sheratonluxor.com
How to Get There - Fly into Cairo and take the train to Luxor or fly directly to Luxor and take a taxi to the site.