Karnak
the house of gods

It is a religious and civil complex very important and composite, the home for the king of the gods, Amon-Ra and for all the pharaohs from the beginning of the New Reign and today its ruins cover an area of two hectares. The great complex, denominated al-Karnak by the Arabs and Ipe Isut by the ancient Egyptians, was developed from the Middle Reign, during 2000 years. It was divided in three areas, consecrated to the three members of the threefold of Tebe: Amon, Mut and Khonsu; but there were also temples dedicated to other divinities. Montu’s temple, the “Master of Tebe”, god of the war, is in the northern part of the complex, while Mut’s temple, Amon’s bride, is at the south. In the great central part, that measures 550 m for 520, there is the Khonsu-Neferhotep temple (the third god of the threefold in Tebe), Ramses’s III temple, Ptah’s and Sekhemet’s temple, Tuthmosi’s III Celebration hall, Amenofi’s II small temple, Tuthmosi’s III chapel and Osiride’s and Opet’s temple. The parts that make Amon’s great temple are the same that can be found in other official temples: a pier surrounded by a portico, an ipostila chamber, a hall, a sanctuary and the sacristies. To this initial model other piers, courtyards and porticos and sanctuaries were added. These following constructions were built by the following sovereigns, each one wanted to enlarge and embellish the sanctuary. Behind the gigantic main pier there is the great courtyard surrounded by a portico, in which there is Ramses’s Iii temple, Seti’s I sanctuary and a stand of Taharqa. The relief in the temple are numerous and important, because they document Seth’s I and Ramses’s III military campaigns in Asia.


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