Where is Karnak Temple Located?
Karnak temple is the largest temple in the world and the largest religious building ever made. It is located at “Thebes,” Luxor city. Known as the temple of Amun, it was called Ipet-isu or “the most select of places ” in the Middle Kingdom, also known as Pr-Imn or “House of Amon,” and dates back to 2055 BC to around 100 AD, It was built over 2000 years.
What Karnak temple consists of
Karnak temple consists of a group of temples, the largest space of them, and the center of the temple covers sixty-one acres belonging to Amun-Ra, the male god of Thebes, which, we can see in the south of the central area is wife the goddess Mut. Other temples like the temple of Khonso, the temple of Ptah, the Ipt temple, the temple of Osiris, and the temple of Month. Karnak temple wasn’t only for gods but also for the Egyptian rulers who memorized, and added their own architectural mark to it over the centuries, from the beginning of the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom, and the Ptolemaic Dynasty.
First Pylon:-Karnak temple
An avenue of ram-headed Sphinxes leads to the first pylon. symbolizes to god Amun, there are 20 rams on each side, it was built to protect the temple. The first Pylon is the main entrance to the temple and the last building is at Karnak.
Great Court:-Karnak temple
Great Court is 100m in length and 80m in width it contains ten papyrus columns every column is 21m in height. Now only one column still stands known as a kiosk of Taharqa who was the fourth king of the 25 Dynasty. There is the statue of Ramesses II which shows the king standing to wear the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, at his feet we found his wife and princes.
The Great Hypostyle Hall
The Great Hypostyle Hall is the most amazing building in Karnak. It is 103m in length and 52m in width, it consists of 134 gigantic stone columns, there are the largest 12 columns which are 22.40 m in height and 3.5m in diameter, while the other 122 columns are 14.75 m in height. It was built by King Seti who ruled from 1290 to 1279 B.C. The outer walls of the northern wing describe Seti’s battle. The south wall was inscribed with Ramesses II’s peace treaty with the Hittites.
Sacred Lake:-Karnak temple
The 120m by 77m Sacred Lake is the largest of its kind. King Tuthmosis III(1473-1458 B.C) dug it and used it by priests for purification and other rituals like navigation, it was the home of sacred geese of Amun. It was lined with stone and provided stairways descending into the water. We can find the storerooms and homes of priests surrounded by the lake.
