Great Hypostyle Hall
A forest of 134 monumental columns, many retaining traces of ancient colour.
East Bank, Luxor
Karnak
A city of temples built across centuries.
A Story in Stone
The largest religious complex ever built, expanded by generations of pharaohs.
Karnak is not a single temple but an immense sacred city. For more than fifteen hundred years, successive rulers added pylons, courts, obelisks and sanctuaries to the precinct of Amun.
The scale is difficult to absorb at once. The Great Hypostyle Hall alone contains 134 columns, creating a stone forest whose surviving colour still hints at its original intensity.
Image Story
Location in the Journey
Practical Note
Karnak benefits from an early morning visit. The complex is large and exposed, so allow at least two hours and bring sun protection and water.
Sacred Lake
The still water reflects the pylons and recalls the purification rituals of temple priests.
Ram-headed Sphinxes
A ceremonial avenue of sphinxes leads toward the principal precinct.
Next along the Route