![]() ![]() Built into the walls are blocks bearing reliefs and cartouches of Tuthmosis III. The reliefs on the outer walls depict the pharaoh (Ramses IV or XII) in the presence of various gods. The door in the middle of the rear wall leads into a larger hall, where the Sanctuary was designed to house the god's sacred boat. On the walls and columns, Ramses XII and Herihor, High Priest of Amun, are depicted sacrificing to various gods. ![]() Beyond this is a transverse Hypostyle Hall with eight papyrus columns the four columns flanking the central aisle have open capitals, while the columns between the lateral aisles (which are 1.5 meters lower than the central aisle) have closed capitals. On the far side of the forecourt, a ramp leads up to the Vestibule with 12 columns. In front of each tower stood a portico with a wooden roof the bases of the columns are still in situ. The reliefs on the towers depict a High Priest of the 21st Dynasty and his wife making offerings to various gods. Like the facades of other temples, it has four vertical grooves, with corresponding apertures in the masonry, for the fixing of flagstaffs. The temple is entered by a large Pylon, 32 meters long, 10 meters deep, and 18 meters high. The central doorway, with reliefs of Alexander II, leads into the Forecourt, flanked on the right and left by a double row of papyrus columns with closed capitals. Temple of Khonsu decorated with the relief of sacred cobras The temple was built by Ramses III, but the reliefs, apart from those in the innermost chambers, which were completed during his reign, were executed during the reigns of his successors Ramses IV and XII and the priest king Herihor, who also built the forecourt. ![]() To the right is a room containing a statue of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, and to the left, another room with reliefs of Tuthmosis III.Ī short avenue of sphinxes, set up by Ramses XI, the last of the Ramessids, leads to the Temple of Khonsu, dedicated to the Theban moon god (son of Amun and Mut), a characteristic example of the architecture of the New Kingdom. In the Sanctuary is the cult image of Ptah (now headless), which is lit, with magical effect, by an aperture in the roof. Here, on the doorway, you can see restored reliefs dating from the reign of Tuthmosis III, while the Sanctuary preserves original reliefs of that period. In the center of the court, a door leads into the temple's sanctuary. In the walls are six niches, and a staircase leads to an upper story. In the portico are two altar bases of red granite with dedications by Amenemhet I and Tuthmosis III. The entrance passage leads into a Court, on the rear side of which is a portico with two 16-sided columns. At the end of the passage is a small Pylon with the names of Tuthmosis III (restored in the Ptolemaic period) on the doorway. Beyond this is a passage formed by four columns with rich foliage capitals, linked by screens. The temple is approached from the west through five successive gateways. It sits snug against the Karnak complex's northern boundary wall. ![]() The Temple of Ptah, tutelary god of Memphis, was built by Tuthmosis III and enlarged and restored by the Kushite Pharaoh Shabaka and later, by some of the Ptolemies. Use our visitor's guide to exploring the Temples of Karnak to help you navigate and understand this vast complex on your visit. If you're short of time, the Great Temple of Amun is the main building and should be your key destination, but plenty of scattered temple remnants (in various ruinous states) surround it. The Pharaonic kingdoms may be long gone, but their power lives on in this triumphant testament of stone. Karnak Temple precinctĪlthough sacked by the Assyrian and Persian armies and looted and pilfered by early explorers and travelers, who carted off statues and masonry, there are few other temple complexes in the world that are still so commanding and majestic today. For Karnak was the house of the gods, and its glories were to be feted by all. Big, bold, and hugely ambitious, Luxor's mammoth Temple of Karnak complex is one of Ancient Egypt's grandest building projects.Įvery pharaoh worth their salt added and amended the buildings here during their reign, stamping their seal on the kingdom's most revered religious sanctuary. ![]()
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