Luxor Temple and Karnak

Our first full day in Luxor found us venturing back across to the east bank of the Nile to explore the Middle/New Kingdom temples of Luxor and Karnak. On our way we enjoyed an Egyptian breakfast of eggs, crepes, bread, bananas, and some sort of rice pudding in the little courtyard of a local hotel.  

We first stopped at the Temple of Luxor, a pylon temple established in the New Kingdom around 3400 years ago. The remaining temple complex is relatively small (especially compared to Karnak), sitting nearly on the Nile before the main road leading from the railway station. In fact, we nearly walked halfway around this site on our previous trip from the train to the Nile ferry. 

Two large pylons with imposing colossal statues and an obelisk mark the entrance to the temple complex. The obelisk is only one of an original symmetrical pair; its sibling now occupies the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Stretching in front of the temple entrance for 3 km is an avenue of sphinges leading to Karnak. All in our party were delighted with the large number of these beasts that are still extant, particularly in the area nearest to the temple. The avenue is in the process of being reclaimed from the modern city so the public is unfortunately unable to promenade down this route.

Beyond the pyloned temple entrance are a series of courtyards lined with large columns and densely inscribed walls. Nearly every surface is covered with symbolic images and hieroglyphics, such that we could have spent many more hours in study and still not have noticed all the minute and elaborate characters, let alone begin to grasp their extended meaning. In ancient times these walls were brightly painted, increasing their visual appeal if not their sage and stately manner which has increased with time. The original paint is still preserved to varying degrees in several places, giving some idea as to the original effect of these embellishments. 

Additions and modifications were continually made to the temple since its creation, by such names as Ramses II, King Tut, and even Alexander the Great, who, among other things, built an enclosed shrine in the heart of the complex with depictions of himself as Pharaoh being blessed by the gods. 

Our tour of the site brought us in a circuit through these monumental walls and columns back towards the Avenue of Sphinges and on to Karnak about 2 miles to the north. For this journey we took advantage of one of the many horse drawn caleches that swarm the area. 

Karnak, like the Temple of Luxor, is a pylon temple with many towering walls and columns interspersed with colossal statues and smaller shrines. It is far larger than its sibling to the south, sprawling over an area of 2 square kilometers with more than a hundred huge columns, 2 obelisks, and 10 towering pylons. Karnak is also much older, having been continually used (and also modified) since the Middle Kingdom (4000 years ago). Today only remnants of the Middle Kingdom structures remain.

The most famous and well known portion of Karnak is the Great Hypostyle Hall, consisting of 134 titanic columns (diameter more than 3 meters) arranged in 16 rows. These columns are shaped like papyrus stalks, symbolizing the great swamp (chaos) out of which the god Amun created the world. The hall was built such that it would flood with the Nile, to create a more literal symbolism. 

A stone roof once covered the hall but has since fallen. The word 'hypostyle' comes from the Greek and means to be supported by columns; it is an architectural term.

We entered the temple through the First Pylon on the west side. An avenue of ram headed sphinges line this route, which are not to be confused with the human headed sphinges coming from Luxor (these meet up with the Tenth Pylon on the southern edge of the temple). 

Beyond the First Pylon is a large courtyard occupied by a solitary column of exceptional height, one of ten from ancient times. Beyond this courtyard is the Hypostyle Hall, but rather than heading straight for this popular and crowded spot we turned south, passing through a chapel of Ramses III and heading for the Temple of Khonsu (god of the Moon) in the south west corner. 

Between this temple and the main structure is a large open space which is now filled with row upon row of rubble, evidently dragged from all across the site and lined up in an effort of organization. A little to the east, extending south from just beyond the Hypostyle Hall, are the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Pylons (the others are in the main complex around the hall facing the First Pylon). 

After exploring the Temple of Khonsu (where a robed guard gave us a little tour for some baksheesh) we headed over to these structures for a closer look, also seeing the other end of the Avenue of Sphinges. Returning north we passed the Sacred Lake, which to everyone's surprise is still filled with water, and saw a famous scarab statue as well as the top portion of a toppled obelisk constructed by Hatshepsut. This is also one of a pair of obelisks, with the sibling still standing on the site; these have the distinction of being the tallest obelisks of the ancient world. 

With the bright midday light beginning to fade to late afternoon we meandered through the Hypostyle Hall, marveling at these massive columns while pondering the creation of order from chaos. The surfaces of these columns are heavily worn and chipped in parts, so that great swaths are covered in modern plaster to give each column its proper bulk and circumference. 

This route took us out through the north of the central complex and on towards what is known as the Open Air Museum in the north west corner of the site. This venue houses a variety of statues and steles, as well as several small chapels. Of note here is the White Chapel of Senusret, in whose Middle Kingdom reign the construction of Karnak began. This chapel actually had to be reassembled from its pieces found within the Third Pylon; evidently it was demolished in the reign of Amenhotep III to be used as filler. 

We finished our visit after a walk to the eastern extremity (opposite the exit at the First Pylon). Being somewhat worn out by this time we avoided and politely refused the two robed guards who wanted to give us impromptu tours (in return for baksheesh, of course).

We ended the day with dinner and beer in a small open air restaurant near our Airbnb.

At breakfast

Various murals depicting the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) are scattered around west Luxor in the town near our Airbnb.

Ready to cross the Nile on the ferry. Tickets are 5 Egyptian pounds per person; we were warned to avoid the aggressive peddlers who advertise a ride across at the same price only to demand 5 British pounds on the other side (20 times more expensive).

Mummy and Tut 1 in front of the Avenue of Sphinges

Tut 2 in front of the pylons of the Temple of Luxor

Panorama showing the main colonnaded courtyard of the Temple of Luxor

 In the temple

Hieroglyphics such as these, as well as larger murals, adorn all the surfaces in the temple. See if you can identify the grouped Ankh, Djed pillar, and Was staff, symbols of life, stability, and dominion (these three appear a lot, sometimes combined and even anthropomorphized). 

Some of the ancient and faded paint

A closer look

Greek graffiti in the temple

 

Tut and Tut in the temple complex with the pylons and obelisk in the background

A panoramic shot of the Avenue of the Sphinges

 

Tut 2 and Mummy in front of the First Pylon at Karnak. Colossal statues used to flank the entrance.

The ram headed sphinges of the west entrance

Tut 1 and Mummy in the first courtyard; the column in the background is one of ten originals.

 Tut 1 and Mummy in front of the shattered Tenth Pylon

The Avenue of Sphinges viewed from the Tenth Pylon at Karnak

One of the obelisks at Karnak

Tut 1 in front of the crumbling Second Pylon

 The White Chapel of Senusret

Ankh, Djed pillar, and Was staff symbols

Near the eastern extremity of Karnak

On the rood of the Temple of Khonsu (part of impromptu tour with robed guard)

In the Great Hypostyle Hall

Mummy in the columns

Throngs crowded the main causeway to the Great Hypostyle Hall, but the area beyond the center complex interior was deserted. 

Panorama of the Great Hypostyle Hall