Tens and dozens of statues of various pharaohs. Chapels for gods and gigantic halls that once rang in celebration of glory. Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex to have been constructed anywhere in the world. It’s magnificence in sheer size and construction alone boggles and provides a feast for the eyes of every Egyptology fans.

This massive complex is a pot of history that links Egypt’s many pharaohs to their reigns and rulings. The temple was built over 4000 years ago and took a thousand years, if not more, to complete. Each pharaoh added their touch of architecture, mini temples and erected their statues during their time of governance.

Visitors can see relics relating to Pharaohs Seti, Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, Ramses and many more. What’s more, the pillars of the Great Hypostyle Hall in Karnak were one of the prominent locations featured in the ever-famous movie “The Mummy Returns”. Today, you can walk through the same pillars and realize why Karnak is so awe-inspiring.

The structure is located in the East Bank of Luxor. The temple complex is huge. So instead of wasting precious time trying to navigate the complex (because there are tons of things to do in Luxor), you can take a private guided tour to both West and East banks and escape the crowd while doing so.

Karnak Temple Tour is also covered in a lot of Nile cruises which is a great way to explore Aswan, Abu Simbel and the ancient city of Thebes included in great prices.

And while you’re there, here are the things you shouldn’t be missing out in the great temple. To make it easier you can book your entry ticket here with an audio tour.

Avenue of Sphinxes joining Luxor Temple

Image: Ram-headed statues at the Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak Temple
Photo Credit: Ameena Navab

A recently excavated site that opened in 2021, the Avenue of Sphinxes is a sight to behold with a thousand statues of Sphinxes connecting the road from the Luxor Temple to Karnak. These statues that look like they are straight up from a scene in the movie, The Mummy Returns, was once a road of festivals about 4000 years ago.

The main celebration on this avenue was the annual Opet Festival in Ancient Egypt. During this festival, the ancient Egyptians believed that the gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu would journey from their shrines in the Karnak temple to the Temple of Luxor.

The Sphinxes start as the human-headed, lion-body statues at the Luxor Temple then continue on to become ram-heads representing the Ancient Egyptian god Khnum leading to the entrance of the Karnak Temple. For an added and unique experience, you can also walk along this 3km road from one temple to another during the temple’s opening hours.

The Luxor temple is also included in Nile Cruise excursions from Aswan or you can visit it with a Luxor tour that covers both the East and West Banks.

The Lucky Scarab Beetle

Scarabs were an important part of the Ancient Egyptian belief and Pharaohs were found to be buried with scarab amulets in gold. Just like how rams were believed to be a manifestation of their god “Khnum”, scarabs were believed to be a manifestation of the god “Khepri”, who controlled the days by pushing the sun into the sky.

And due to this ritual of creating “the days” Scarabs became a symbol of self-creation, transformation, and re-birth and was thought to bring good luck. These amulets of scarabs were kept in a Pharaohs’ grave in hopes that they will help guide the kings into the afterlife.

While there are plenty of hieroglyphics and accessories with the scarab beetle, Karnak Temple takes it a step above with a Scarab Beetle statue sitting beside the temple’s sacred lake. This particular statue was built by Amenhotep III. The stelae of the scarab statue confirms this with a representation of the king in its hieroglyphics as well as a text stating “Khepri who rises from the earth”.

Ancient Egyptians believed that going around the statue three times brings good luck, seven times would bring marriage and a fulfilling love life while nine times would be gifted with a child for those who want children. Today, you can see flocks of tourists going around the scarab, each with a wish and hope of their own.

Sacred Lake

Next to the statue of the Scarab, is a 300 feet lake with water that sprang from the underground. This lake was dug out by Thutmosis III and was said to be used in ritual purposes for ablutions by the temple priests. The lake has also attracted geese which was thought to be sacred as it was believed to be the form of the Ancient Egyptian god, Amun.

Another reason the lake was thought of as sacred was due to the lake being a concept of creation in Ancient Egypt, representing the primeval waters from which life arose.

Star ceiling in the Holy of Holies

Inside Karnak’s Holy of Holies is the beautiful pattern of stars. Despite the ruined pillars and part of the walls fallen out, the ceiling still retains some of its original blue with the stars forming like a constellation above your head. While it’s subtle compared to the rest of Karnak’s grand pillars and colossal statues, it still doesn’t fail to take your breath away.

Hatshepsut’s defaced Statues

A queen who was born to be a Pharaoh and the first one to do so in Ancient Egyptian history, Hatshepsut titled herself as the first female Pharaoh to rule Egypt. Her statues depict her with the attributes of a man, complete with a shendyt, the Pharoah’s beard and headdress that showed off her ruling power.

Hatshepsut took on the title of Phaorah and that of a “king” after she was denied the ruling power as a woman. She made quite the legacy by erecting towering statues, building new roads and prospering Kemet during her reign. This influence of hers was also instilled in Karnak where she erected giant obelisks and statues of herself.

But these statues were later defaced by her successor and stepson, Thutmose III. While her images are ruined, her rows of statues with her deformed face is still a popular sight at Karnak. It is believed that Thutmose III erased Hatshepsut out of Egyptian history due to vengeance or the fact that he didn’t want his rule interrupted by a history of a woman.

Barque Chapel of Ramses III

Statues of Ramses III lined at the Barque Chapel of Ramses and the chapel’s inner chambers at Karnak Temple
Photo Credit: Ameena Navab

One of the best-preserved smaller temples in Karnak, the shrine of Ramses III is a must-see when venturing into humungous Karnak. Eight figures of Ramses III lines toward the inner chambers of his shrine. This shrine is located towards the south of the second pylon and a smaller pylon with scenes depicting the king in war victories decorating the walls.

These statues were decorated in his heb-seb vestments which is something to mark and celebrate a pharaohs 30-year reign. The inner chambers of Ramses III is also accessible to visitors. While most chambers in temples are lighted, you will find one of Ramses III’s chambers in complete darkness with a square in the ceiling to let in natural light. This takes you back into a time where light was a natural source in an otherwise dark world.

The Great Hypostyle Hall

Image: The towering pillars of the famed Karnak Hypostyle Hall
Photo Credit: Ameena Navab

Towering pillars that reaches for the sky and one that seems impossible to have been built 4000 years ago, the Great Hypostyle Hall with its gigantic 134 pillars is what makes visitors flock to Karnak.

These halls are found along the main entrance way and was built by Seti/Sety I who ruled from 1290 t0 1279 BC. The University of Memphis described the Great Hypostyle Hall as an “area large enough to accommodate the whole of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral”.

The pillars are around 70 feet high with each of them having hieroglyphics and inscriptions etched from top to bottom. The hall is said to have become the main point for celebrating coronations, and heb-seb ceremonies (a feast celebrated for a 30-year rule by a single king and then celebrated every three years thereafter until he passes the throne).

Like all of Ancient Eyptian’s glorious temples, these pillars of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak were once painted with striking colors of blues, yellows, reds and whites. Some of these still retains on the topmost ceilings of the part of hall where sunlight doesn’t pierce the ground.

Image: The ceilings and pillars of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak Temple that retains some of its colors from 4000 years ago
Photo Credit: Ameena Navab

The hall is more than just mind-boggling architecture and beauty. It’s also a place of incredible engineering and clever science. The reason that some of the colors still retain on the ceiling from thousands of years ago is because of the Egyptian’s method of clerestory lighting. This method allows only a chosen part of the temple to let in sunlight and air. Ancient Egyptians are believed to be the earliest civilization that used and knew this method.

Despite its grant creation, not every Egyptians or nobles could enter this hall. The further it went; the more restricted access became. But today, visitors can enjoy exploring all areas of the hall and take in its magnificence.

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