Karnak is an ancient Egyptian temple precinct located on the east bank of the Nile River in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It covers more than 100 hectares, an area larger than some ancient cities.

In which country is the Karnak Temple?

The temple complex on the Nile River at Karnak, Egypt. Relief sculpture from Luxor or Karnak area, Egypt.

Why is the temple at Karnak so famous?

The Karnak Temple dates back from around 2055 BC to around 100 AD. It was built as a cult temple and was dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut, and khonsu. Being the largest building for religious purposes ever to be constructed, the Karnak Temple was known as “most select of places” by ancient Egyptians.

Is Luxor and Karnak the same?

The Temple of Karnak is located in present-day Luxor, which was known as Waset to the Ancient Egyptians and Thebes to the Ancient Greeks. ... Three other sections—the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Montu, and the Temple of Amenhotep IV—are also part of Karnak.

What is the meaning of Karnak Temple?

Karnak is the modern-day name for the ancient site of the Temple of Amun at Thebes, Egypt. The Egyptians called the site Nesut-Towi, "Throne of the Two Lands", Ipet-Iset, "The Finest of Seats" as well as Ipt-Swt, "Selected Spot" also given as Ipetsut, "The Most Select of Places".

Luxor, Egypt: The Karnak Temple Complex - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite

Where in Egypt is Karnak?

Karnak is an ancient Egyptian temple precinct located on the east bank of the Nile River in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It covers more than 100 hectares, an area larger than some ancient cities.

What is the largest temple in Egypt?

The largest religious building ever constructed. The temple of Karnak was known as Ipet-isu—or “most select of places”—by the ancient Egyptians. It is a city of temples built over 2,000 years and dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.

What is Luxor's Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings?

Outside its walls, pharaohs built the famous temples of Amun and Karnak on the Nile's east bank and constructed mortuary temples along the west bank. The Valley of the Kings refers to the sloping cliffs above the western floodplain, where the bodies of the pharaohs were laid to rest in tombs cut deep into the rock.

What is the centerpiece of Karnak?

One famous aspect of Karnak is the Great Hypostyle Hall in the Precinct of Amun-Re, a hall area of 50,000 sq ft (5,000 m²) with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows.

What is the great temple at Karnak?

The Great Temple of Amun is the central temple of the huge Temples of Karnak complex and was the religious epicenter of Theban life. This house of the gods was built on a giant scale and today remains one of Ancient Egypt's most ambitious examples of Pharaonic era engineering and architecture.

What is in the Valley of the Queens?

The Valley of the Queens (Arabic: وادي الملكات‎ Wādī al Malekāt) is a site in Egypt, where the wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. It was known then as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of beauty". It was most famous for being the burial site of many wives of Pharaohs.

Did Karnak Temple have a roof?

One of the greatest architectural marvels of Karnak is the hypostyle hall built during the Ramesside period (a hypostyle hall is a space with a roof supported by columns). The hall has 134 massive sandstone columns with the center twelve columns standing at 69 feet.

Who built Luxor Temple?

Dating back to 1392 BCE, the temple was built on the east bank of the Nile River and is dedicated to the deities Mut, Khonsu, and Amun. Its construction was begun by Pharaoh Amenhotep III and was completed by Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Containing ten sections, Luxor Temple is massive.

When was Karnak temple excavated?

The Centre franco-égyptien d'étude des temples de Karnak (CNRS/Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities) has just completed the excavation of a favissa, a pit discovered in early December 2014 near the temple of the god Ptah.

How many obelisks are there in Karnak?

Pharaoh: Hatshepsut (reigned 1503-1482 B.C.) Story: Not long after her father Tuthmosis I died, leaving the throne to his young grandson Tuthmosis III, Hatshepsut declared herself "king." She erected four obelisks at Karnak, but only this one remains standing.

How tall are the Karnak obelisks?

The obelisk is 71 feet/21.7 meters in height, sits on a base 6 feet/1.8 meters square, and weighs about 143 tons. Each side of the obelisk has three vertical lines of inscription, the central one being a dedication by Thutmose I. The obelisk is single shaft of red granite quarried at Aswan.

Where is the Valley of Kings located in Egypt?

The ancient Egyptians built massive public monuments to their pharaohs. But they also spent time and treasure creating hidden underground mausoleums. The most famed collection of such elaborate tombs—the Valley of the Kings—lies on the Nile's west bank near Luxor.

Where is Cleopatra's tomb?

The long-lost tomb of Antony and Cleopatra, the burial crypt of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII, from 30 BC, remains undiscovered somewhere near Alexandria, Egypt. According to historians Suetonius and Plutarch, the Roman leader Octavian (later renamed Augustus) permitted their burial together after he had defeated them.

What is pharaoh's tomb called?

A personal resting place of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh is known as a sarcophagus.

What is in an Egyptian tomb?

Beside the chambers were rooms containing jars, small objects, and offerings of food and drink. The tombs were surrounded by a large number of graves of women and dwarves. These people may have been servants of the kings who were sacrificed to serve them in their afterlife.

How many pyramids are in Egypt?

The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures located in Egypt. Sources cite at least 118 identified Egyptian pyramids. Most were built as tombs for the country's pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.

Who is Horus?

Horus, the falcon-headed god, is a familiar ancient Egyptian god. ... Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, the divine child of the holy family triad. He is one of many gods associated with the falcon. His name means "he who is above" and "he who is distant".

Who built the pyramids?

It was the Egyptians who built the pyramids. The Great Pyramid is dated with all the evidence, I'm telling you now to 4,600 years, the reign of Khufu. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is one of 104 pyramids in Egypt with superstructure. And there are 54 pyramids with substructure.