These buses came so we are sure glad we got to come

The temples of Karnak and Luxor are connected by two rows of 800 sphinxes along a two-mile path.  Archeologists continue to uncover more of the 800.

Model - main entrance showing row of sphinxes and the first and second pylons

Main entrance is at the top right

Entrance of Euergetes I through the First Pylon of the Great Temple of Amun

(Pylon is the Greek term for a monumental gateway of an Egyptian temple.)

Obelisk of Seto II

Row of ram-headed, lion's body sphinxes

Ram-headed sphinx with Ramses II under his chin

       Beyond the first pylon is the Great Court which contains colonnades with more ram-headed sphinxes, a sphinx ordered by King Tut and made of calcite alabaster, a papyrus column, and a statue of Ramses II.

       Just behind the first  pylon are the remains of a ramp made of mud bricks, which allowed the wall blocks to be lifted into place.  The stones were quarried, put in place and then polished, sculpted or engraved, and painted.  Minerals (gypsum, carbon ash, lapsis lazuli, malachite, etc) were mixed with water and a vegetable glue and then painted on the stone.  Wax was then applied and made the stone absorb the color. 

Colonnade and sphinxes in the great court

Remains of ramp used to build the first pylon

Alabaster sphinx ordered by King Tut

Papyrus column (design on capital) - remains of Kiosk of Tahharka where the processional boats were kept

Statue of Ramses II with his daughter between his feet

Entrance to the Temple of Ramses III flanked by statues of Ramses III

Facade of Second Pylon

         The Great Hypostyle Hall is beyond the second pylon.  It contains 134 columns with an open flower of papyrus at the top. The columns are covered with wonderfully preserved hieroglyphs.

Great Hypostyle Hall - entering from the Second Pylon

Great Hypostyle Hall - looking back from the Third Pylon

Great Hypostyle Hall columns

Great Hypostyle Hall columns

Cartouches of Ramses II

One of the cartouches of Ramses II

Note the blood-red feet of the figure above the cartouche of Ramses II

The "we were there" photo

Obelisks of Hatshepsut (left) and Tuthmosis

Obelisk of Tuthmosis

Obelisk of Hatshepsut

Obelisk of Hatshepsut - detail

Base of Obelisk of Hatshepsut

         The base of the Hatshepsut obelisk is made of pink granite from Aswan and has a point sculpted in the top to receive the depression in the obelisk when it is lowered onto the base.  Only 8 of the 200 ancient obelisks remain in Egypt.  The rest were stolen, given away or taken by countries for their museums.  Tuthmosis IV ordered the smaller obelisk at Karnak.  Three sides were finished at the quarry and the fourth was carved, polished, etc. after it was erected here.

Obelisk of Hatshepsut through hypostyle columns

Window into hypostyle hall

Wall covered with hieroglyphs

Entrance to the Cachette courtyard - seventh pylon

Statues of Ramses II and wife Nefertari

Sacred lake - perhaps the first swimming pool in history.  It provided Nile water for the temple complex and for the queen to float her boat.  Originally birds, animals, and plants thrived around the lake.

Scarab beetle which represents the god Khepri

Horizontal obelisk of Hatshepsut

Horizontal obelisk of Hatshepsut

Links for the Karnak Temple Complex

Maps:

http://www.planetware.com/map/karnak-great-temple-of-amun-map-egy-gta_e.htm

http://www.planetware.com/map/temple-of-karnak-map-egy-tk_n.htm

Great Temple of Amun:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnak

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/karnak/karnak.html

http://www.touregypt.net/karnak.htm