The entrance to the main temple in Karnak goes through an impressing alley of sphinxes. The sphinxes here have a lion's body and the heads of rams. The ram heads indicates that this is the creator god Khnum, and a temple on the east side of the Nile where the sun is born every morning - is somehow always connected to a birth ritual.

In front of you is a grand wall with an entrance section, and this is what is called a Pylon. Formed like two higher towers on each side and the entrance in the middle. Looking at the map above you will see numbers from one to ten. This is the different pylon in the main temple complex at Karnak - number one being the largest and the first you meet when entering the temple.

Then to some main parts of the temple, and you can follow where these are located by locating the letters on the map.

A. When coming in to the first forecourt you will find a small temple with three shrines on the left side. This is a way station for the holy barks of Amon, Mut and Khonsu.
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B. On the left side in this forecourt is the temple of Ramses III (20th dynasty)
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C. After the second pylon you will get into the grand hypostyle hall, which measure 102x53 meters, built under Pharaoh Seti I and decoration completed during Ramses II (both beginning of 19 dynasty). Here you will find yourself literally lost among 134 columns and where the 12 flanking the processional way is the highest with 23 meters height. The temple was not only a place for worship, or just for education (as it in many ways can be compared to a university) - it was also the house on earth for the gods. So this hall was like a papyrus marsh, in stone - so yes, use your time in this manmade nature made for gods...
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D. Out of the hypostyle hall and past the third pylon, then one grand obelisk will appear in front of you. Obelisks are four sided monoliths ending with a pyramidion (a pyramid shaped top). Obelisks were always standing in pair, but the second is here fallen and the obelisk belongs to ThothMoses I (beginning of the 18th dynasty).
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E. After the next pylon you will have to bend your neck, as here stand the remaining obelisk of Pharaoh Hatshepsut. In granite taken from Aswan, and with a total weight of 320 tons and a width a height of 27.5 meters. Originally with a thin layer of electrum - a natural alloy of gold and silver, and dedicated to her father ThothMoses I. How the obelisks were transported from Aswan to Luxor is described in her terrace temple on the west bank. Upper part of the fallen obelisk lies close to the sacred lake, so there you will be able to look close at the top of these grand obelisks - the highest ever erected.
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F. The sanctuary of Amon and in the middle here a smaller statue of Amon stood in the sacred boat. This boat with Amon was brought out every year during the Sed festival and brought to Luxor temple (as described on the wall in the Luxor temple).
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G. Room built by Hatshepsut, here coloured relief's showing her among others being purified by Thoth and Horus. Note that her face is removed and her cartouches (royal name) are altered and replaced by the name of ThothMoses III.
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H. In this pillared hall you will see some very special columns, which is wider at the top and thinner downward. Note that on the left (north) side there is a statue of Amon, Mut and Khonsu - here Mut and Khonsu which stand on each side of Amon has been chiselled away apart from the breast section of their bodies. The result is that the triad of gods then is transformed into a cross, and look around on the columns and you will find biblical figures painted all over. So yes, this part of the temple was later used as a church, as happened to many ancient temples.
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I. ThothMoses III's botanical room as this part most often are named. Here you will find reliefs of flora and fauna from his campaign abroad. Some thousand years later Napoleon did the same when bringing artists and scientists to Egypt to record flora, fauna and monuments while he had his campaign to Egypt.
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J. While the main temple described above have an axis from east to west, the second temple complex here has a north to south axis. The first court here is still walled, and outside this you will find the grand Sacred Lake.
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K. The seventh pylon is from TutAnchAmon and so are the (much damaged) granite chapel of TutAnchAmon.
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L. On the left side of the fourth court you can find the Jubilee temple of AmenHotep II. Much damaged, but the relief's that still remains are done by some of the best artists.

As you will understand, above is hardly a glimpse into this grand temple complex. If you have time for this, take first a tour here with a good guide, then go back alone later and use good time just to walk around. Don't forget the open door museum either; it's to the left when getting into the first court after entering the main temple (the outdoor museum needs separate ticket).
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Back to the
Full Karnak Temple Complex.

Find more about:

Hatshepsut's Terrasse Temple
Tomb of the Nobles, Ramose
Tomb of the Nobles, Menna & Nakht
Medinet Habu tempelkompleks
Ramses III temple at Medinet Habu
Karnak Temple Complex
Main temples in Karnak
Luxor Temple
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