TEMPLE OF KARNAK

Karnak is known as the temple city for a very straightforward reason... it is quite simply massive. It’s scope is a testament to it’s importance in the ancient world where it was known as Ipet-isut or ‘The Most Selected of Places.’ In antiquity, it was located on the outskirts of the great city of Thebes (the ancient capital for a great many years) and upon which the modern city of Luxor is now built.

Most of the temples now lie in ruins, though these ruins are so immense that they are barely worthy of that label. It is at sites such as this that a good tour guide can really make a difference, verbally reconstructing the temple walls and giving what would otherwise be just another stone a contextual link with the past that makes it the most interesting stone the world has ever known.

There is no denying that the halls of columns (now minus their ceiling) are perhaps the most impressive feature of Karnak. Used in countless films over the years as an impressive pre-built set (I always remember them from Roger Moore’s Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me), if you look closely at the underside of some of the massive stones that bridge some of the columns you will see well preserved artwork, shielded from the sun.

Your visit to Karnak will probably be one of the longest of all the excursions as there is so much to take in. You will also get the chance to roam the ruins for yourself and there is a lot of fun to be had in navigating what can at times appear to be a maze. Pay particular attention to the interiors that remain intact as it is here that you will find the best preserved decorative paintings.

Don’t forget to take a bottle of water with you to Karnak. Although there are places to buy refreshments, you won’t want to walk all the way back to them in the middle of a tour.

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