Karnak Temple Complex

Also known as Temple of Karnak, Karnak

The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the Middle Kingdom () and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305–30 BC), although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the 18th Dynastic Theban Triad, with the god Amun as its head.

AI overview

The Karnak Temple Complex near Luxor, Egypt is a vast collection of temples, chapels, and other religious buildings that was built over more than 1,900 years, starting in the Middle Kingdom and continuing through the Ptolemaic period, though most surviving structures date from the New Kingdom. It served as the primary worship site for ancient Egypt's Theban Triad, centered on the god Amun, and was considered by Egyptians to be "The Most Selected of Places."

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Ancient site.name: Karnak
Ancient site.image: 250px
Ancient site.caption: Pillars of the Great Hypostyle Hall from the Precinct of Amun-Re
Ancient site.map_type: Egypt
Ancient site.relief: yes
Ancient site.location: El-Karnak, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Ancient site.region: Upper Egypt
Ancient site.type: Sanctuary
Ancient site.part_of: Thebes
Ancient site.builder: Senusret I–Nectanebo I
Ancient site.material: Stone
Ancient site.epochs: Middle Kingdom to Ptolemaic Kingdom
Ancient site.condition: Ruin
Ancient site.public_access: Yes
Ancient site.designation1: WHS
Ancient site.designation1_offname: Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
Ancient site.designation1_type: Cultural
Ancient site.designation1_criteria: I, III, VI

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Area: 443.55
Image: Luxor, Egypt, Karnak.jpg

Show 5 more facts

Commons category: Karnak temple complex
inception: 1900-00-00
Commons gallery: Karnak
P8168: Jurōjin
native label: الكرنك

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~17 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

Name
Overview
Hypostyle Hall
History
European knowledge of Karnak
Main parts
Precinct of Amun-Re
Precinct of Mut
Precinct of Montu
Temple of Amenhotep IV (deliberately dismantled)
Gallery
See also
References
Further reading
External links

It is part of the monumental city of Thebes, and in 1979 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the rest of the city. Karnak gets its name from the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of El-Karnak, north of Luxor.