Karnak, Ancient Hub Of Egypt

By Author: Adam Anders
Total Articles: 41
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One of the most important historical and cultural areas of Egypt is Luxor, with its high concentration of ancient sites. Luxor is located in Upper (southern) Egypt and is easily accessible by train from Cairo. Located on the site of the ancient capital of Thebes, you can see numerous mindblowing attractions in and around Luxor, including the Colossi of Memnon, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepshut, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, and many more. Luxor is most certainly a necessary part of any trip to Egypt. But one of the sites stands out from the pack, and that is Karnak Temple, a massive temple complex right inside the town of Luxor.

This is the temple of Ipet-Isut (as it was once known by the ancient Egyptians), which was the central focus of the ancient capital city of Thebes. For around 1500 years Thebes was the capital city, starting in 1900 BCE upon construction of the Temple of Amun, one of the temples within the Karnak complex. The Karnak complex served a number of purposes: it was the center of worship of the Thebean trinity (Amun-re, Mut, and Khonsu); the residence of the pharaoh; and the ...
... center of the kingdom's administration.

Karnak's status as not only a temple compound but also as the city center and major hub is what makes it so overwhelmingly massive. In person, its size is quite overwhelming. One of the halls, the Great Hypostyle Hall, is comprised of 134 massive pillars, with each one measuring from 15 meters (50 ft) to 21 meters (69 feet) tall. Each pillar is so wide that 6 people are required to be able to reach their arms all the way around it. If you can envision the statues of the pharaohs that were once situated in this hall amongst the pillars, then you can easily imagine the scale of Karnak's glory.

It isn't hard for visitors to get to Karnak, because it is just a 10 or 15 minute walk from the town center, and even faster by taxi. The opening time is six o' clock in the morning, when the complex is beautifully lit up by the light of dawn. In the evenings a different type of illumination takes place, as Karnak temple hosts a spectacular sound and light show that stuns attendees in this mystical setting.
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