Begun around 2055 BC and used until circa 100 AD, the Temple of Karnak, located near the banks of the Nile in the city now known as Luxor but then known as Thebes, was built as a cult temple dedicated to the Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Until the construction of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome between 1506 and 1626, the Temple of Luxor was the largest religious temple ever to be constructed.
Here are the firsts of a series of photographs I took there during October 2022.
The entrance to the Temple of Karnak.Ranks of Goat-Headed Sphinxes
Hieroglyphics on the Second Pilar of the Temple of Karnak
Statue of Ramses II at the Temple of Karnak
Entrance to the Great Hyposytle Hall at the Temple of Karnak
Columns within the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temple of Karnak
Columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temple of Karnak
Capstones in the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temple of Karnak
Massive Columns within the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temple of Karnak
Slabs in the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temple of Karnak
Ruins with the Temple of Karnak
Ruins of the Temple of Karnak
Rubble within the Temple of Karnak
The obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut (1473 -1458 BC)
Silence at Temple of Karnak
As a gift that would forever demonstrate his love for his wife, Pharoah Amenhotep the Great (1391 to 1353 B.C.) commissioned a giant sculpture of scarab beetle in front of the holy lake in the temple of Karnak, Egypt. Ancient Egyptians subsequently believed this royal scarab had sacred powers that were a source of happiness. They believed that it you walked counter-clockwise for 7 laps, then your most secret wishes would be granted; while merely 5 laps around would nullify envy and bring luck; and only 3 laps eventually make your rich. Tourists today circle it just in case it’s true.
