In trapezium shape, it contains the Great Amon temple, other various temples, a sacred lake and small chapels. Once there was a great temple dedicated to Akhenaton and two small buildings from the tolomeo era, that are now completely destroyed.
The Plan of the Great temple is made of a set of Pillars of various epochs, interspaced by halls and courts that lead to the main sanctuary, the most ancient are the ones built by Thutmosi I:
In front of the first Pillar it is possible to see a bank and a path of sphinxes with ram’s heads, the best part of these statues have the name Pinodem I, supreme priest in Amon on the XXI Dynasty.
At the south of the path there are many small buildings, among which a chapel for Psammuti’s and Acor’s sacred boat. The courtyard that opens up behind contains a triple sanctuary dedicated to Sethi I used for the sacred boats, its made of three chapels dedicated to Amon, Mut and Khonsu. In the center of the courtyard there is an unusual roman kiosk built by Taharqa of which one of the columns is still up.
A small temple, also used to keep Ramses’s III sacred boats in, is on the southern side of the courtyard.
The II Pillar, probably built by Horemheb shows the king with princess Bent’anta, behind the pillar, the roof of the hypostyle atrium, now vanished, was supported by 134 columns papyrus-shaped. The relief that decorate the hypostyle atrium are works by Sethi I and Ramses II.
The external walls have battle scenes of these two kings, among them Ramses’s II battle in Qadesh.
The III Pillar was built by Amenhotep III, but the portico that precedes it was decorated by Sethi I and Ramses II.
Between the IV and the V Pillar, both built by Thutmosi I, there is the most ancient part of the temple, there are 14 papyrus-shaped columns and Hatshepsut’s two obelisks.
The VI Pillar and the courtyard that precede it were built by Thutmosi III. Behind it there is a hall with two granite pilasters still up that have the emblem of Upper and Lower Egypt. The chapel for the sacred boat goes back to Filippo Arrideo and is on the place of a precedent chapel built by Thutmosi III. Behind the courtyard there is Thutmosi ‘s III reception hall, one of the rooms in the temple is called “botanical garden” because it’s decorated with scenes of plants, birds and exotic animals.
Other four Pillars were added enlarging the Amon Great temple toward south. In the courtyard at the north of the VII Pillar, called “The Favissa courtyard” a deposit of thousands of statues that originally decorated the temple was found, other rests of more ancient buildings were brought to light, among them Sesostri’s I pilasters and Amenhotep’s I many chapels.
The VII and VIII Pillars were built by Thutmosi III, the courtyard they surrounded was consecrated to keep the boats.
The IX and X Pillars are Horemheb’s work. Among them the temple for Amenhotep’s III sed celebration.
Inside the Amon walls there are around twenty chapels and small temples, among them Ptah’s one built by Thutmosi iii, the Osiri Heqazet’s chapel built by Osorkon IV and Shebitku.