Can anyone tell who the first King to build at Karnak was?

Here is what I have found. The earliest Pharaoh whose name can be found at Karnak is Senwosret I (Senusret I) from the 12th Dynasty, but there may be evidence of an Old Kingdom temple that was built over.

"There is some evidence that a temple stood here already in the Old Kingdom, but the oldest remains still visible date to the reign of Senwosret I, when the temple was apparantly alread dedicated to Amun....However , a fine example of the craftsmenship of this period [Middle Kingdom] is to be seen in the small shrine, probably originally from this area, erected by Senwosret I, which is now on display in the Open Air Museum"( source: Thebes In Egypt :A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor by Nigel & Helen Strudwick, pg 50).

Other sources say that temples already existed there but I can find none that list any construction by anyone earlier than Senwosret I.

"He [Senwosret I] had already begun a programme of temple construction during his coregency with his father [Amenemhat I], extending and embellishing most of the major temples, including those at Karnak and Heliopolis." (source: The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw and Paul Nicholson in Association with The British Museum, pg 259).

Maybe I was wrong...

"Amenemhet I took part in a number of building projects. Besides his fortresses, we know he built at Babastis, el-Khatana and Tanis. He undertook important building works at Karnak, from which a few statues and granite naos survive. He may have even established the original temple of Mut to the south of the Temple of Amun ( source ).


"No buildings survive in Thebes older than the portions of the Karnak temple complex, which may date from the Middle Kingdom, but the lower part of a statue of King Niuserre of the 5th Dynasty has been found in Karnak. Another statue which was dedicated by King Senwosret of the 12 dynasty may have been usurped and re-used by him, since the statue bears a cartouche of Niuserre on its belt. Since seven rulers of the 4th to 6th Dynasties appear on the Karnak king list, perhaps at the least there was a temple in the Theban area which dated to the Old Kingdom.( source )

Originally posted by Neb-Ma'at-Re



4-th Dynasty? That's good enough for me. I just habe aline in my book that staes that kings have been building here for...........so and so..........number of years and I needed a rough idea. I knew Senwosret had built in the area but I didn't have a lot of details.

http://www.culturefocus.com/egypt.htm
I want to find a cowboy, baby.....

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