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Karnak
The
temple of Karnak is a monument made by many pharaohs. The
temple itself was mainly dedicated to the god Amun. Located
on the east bank of
Thebes,
the temple’s construction began around the early Middle
Kingdom and continued through the New Kingdom. As each
pharaoh succeeded the throne they continually added
buildings, statues, and temples. The temple grew outward
and became a series of many temples that were combined.
A
major characteristic of
Karnak
is the avenue of the ram-headed sphinxes. These sphinxes
were sacred to Amun and the pharaohs placed them there to
symbolize their protection. The sphinxes lead to the
entrance of two main entrances—east and west.
Inside
the temple and located towards the center, a scared lake was
located on each wing of the temple. The lakes represented
creation and were believed to be used by priests who would
perform rituals. The biggest of the two lakes was dug by
Tuthmosis III and was done is a rectangle. It is one of the
most well preserved lakes to date.
The
temple’s main attraction is the columns located in the Great
Hypostyle Hall. There are a total of 134 columns. The
central nave is held up by 12 columns which are 70 ft tall
and have a diameter of 18 feet. The columns gave clues as
to how the temple functioned through inscriptions and
carvings.
Another noticeable trait is the pylons. The pylons are
massive gateways that define the approach of the entrance.
The temple has ten and they are often referred to the First
Pylon (Nectanebo I), Second Pylon (19th Dynasty),
Third Pylon (Amenhotep III), Fourth Pylon (Thutmose I),
Fifth Pylon (Thutmose I), Sixth Pylon (Thutmose III),
Seventh Pylon (Thutmose III), Eight Pylon (Hapshepsut),
Ninth Pylon (Horemheb) and the Tenth Pylon (Horemheb) .
The
temple is broken down into four major parts, the Precinct of
Amun-Re, the Precinct of Montu, the Precinct of Mut, and the
Temple of Amenhotep IV.
Precinct of Amun-Re:
The Precinct of Amun-Re is the largest part of the temple.
It is the only section open to the public. This section is
so large that it holds many buildings and temples. In this
section visitors can see the Pylons, the Memorial Temple of
Thutmose III, Sacred Lake, Enclosusre Wall of the Percent of
Amun,
Temple
of
Path,
and the Temple of the Healing Ear. These are just a few of
the many monuments that can be found inside this precinct.
Precinct of Montu:
This
precinct housed the Temple of Montu, the Temple of Harpe,
and the Temple of Maat. It is closed to the public and a
gateway constructed by Ptolemy III and Ptolemy IV is the
most noticeable formation inside this precinct.
Precinct of Mut:
This precinct holds the other scared lake that is shaped
like a U. It houses the
temple
of
Ramesses III,
the temple of Mut, and the temple of Khonspekhrod. Other
smaller structures and shrines can be seen there as well;
however, most of what remains in that section has been
destroyed.
Temple
of
Amenhotep IV:
This precinct was done by Akhenaten and was located to the
east of Karnak. Because Akhenaten brought so many radical
changes in his time which were not favorably to his
subjects, much of what was constructed in this precinct was
destroyed and now a majority of its design is unknown.
The
temple of Karnack remains a high point of interest to
tourists. It has so many things to see and it’s highly
advised you do research before entering the temple.
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