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Headless Pharaoh
Holding tightly to a pair of ankhs, or the keys of life, a headless statue stands tall in the Karnak temple complex near Luxor, Egypt.
So much of Ancient Egypt was about one’s relationship to the Gods and the afterlife. And, so much art and architecture dedicated to these relationships remains to be explored today.
From the mind-blowing pyramids at Giza (see: Stories in Ancient Stone) to the amazing tombs in the Valley of the Kings (see: The Writing on the Walls, and Take me to the Afterlife) and the stunningly beautiful mortuary temple for Hatshepsut (see: The Queen who would be Pharaoh), every hieroglyph, every statue, and every wall and column says something about the Egyptians’ complex belief system about immortality.
Nowhere is this more in evidence than at Karnak, a temple complex on the east bank of the Nile River, just 2.5 km north of Luxor. Part of the UNESCO-listed “Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis”, this crumbling collection of temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, stretches over two square kilometres, forming the largest temple complex in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. The Temple of Amun-Ra at the heart of the Karnak complex vies with Angkor Wat in Cambodia for position as the largest single religious building in the world.
Added to and altered for well over a thousand years, the site has been called a great historical document in stone. From the beginning of the Middle Kingdom (2040 – 1782 BCE), through the New Kingdom (1570 – 1069 BCE) and into the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323 – 30 BCE), successive Egyptian rulers affixed their own architectural stamps to the complex, defacing the contributions of their predecessors and building over ruins of monuments in honour of the God Amun-Ra thought to date to the Old Kingdom (c. 2613 – c. 2181 BCE). Even Alexander the Great left his mark here, decorating an inner chapel.
The temples are principally dedicated to the Theban god-triad: Amun, the father-god, god of the sun; Mut, mother-goddess and god of ‘everything’ in the world; and Khonsu, lunar child-god, god of the moon.
Join me for a wander around this extraordinary complex:
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Morning on the Nile
Staying on a boat on the Nile made me feel like I was in the middle of an Agatha Christie novel. (iPhone6)
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Model of Karnak
At the entry to the extensive Karnak Temple Complex, visitors get a chance to appreciate an overview.
Entering Karnak
The First Pylon, a monumental gateway of tapering towers leading into the temple complex, was the last pylon to be built at Karnak, and was never finished and decorated.
Rams at the Entrance to Karnak
The entry to Karnak is flanked by criosphinxes, sphinxes with the bodies of lions and the heads of rams. The god Amun is depicted as having the head of a ram with curved horns.
Criosphinx
Weathered and worn, each criosphinx protects a small figures of a Pharaoh – thought by most to be Ramses II – in the pose of Osiris.
Phalanx of Criosphinxes
The row of ram-headed sphinxes leads the eyes to one of the obelisks on the site.
Sun through the Gates
It is nine o’clock in the morning. It seems only fitting that the sun should greet us as we enter the first gate into a temple dedicated to the sun god.
Sparrow in the Wall
The First Court
Once we are through the massive pylon, the space opens out.
Barque Shrines of Seti II
Barque stations or shrines were resting places for the statues of the gods when they were journeying outside the temple during festival processions. The First Court houses the shrines of Seti II and Ramses III. I liked leaving people in my pictures: it allowed me to appreciate the grand scale that even these smaller temples are built on.
Sweeper in the Courtyard
More criosphinxes grace the courtyard.
Guides in the Courtyard
When I visited, tourism was still down following the Arab Spring, and many guides hung around chatting and hoping for work. I can’t imagine how they are managing this year!
Hieroglyphs on the Pillars
Intricate detail is everywhere; it is too much to take in! The guide books recommend you visit more than once.
Tourist in a Courtyard
Doorways and portals lead off in all directions.
Pillars of the Hypostyle Hall
The Hypostyle Hall – literally, a great hall whose roof rests on pillars or columns – it truly amazing!
Sandstone Pillars
The 134 sandstone columns represent papyrus stalks, as they reach for the sky where the roof once was.
Writing on the Pillars
At the beginning of creation, Amun arose from the waters of chaos in the primeval papyrus swamp.
Hieroglyphs on the Pillars
Every square inch tells a story.
Sandstone Stories
According to scholars who can actually read them, the reliefs and inscriptions in the Great Hypostyle Hall provide us with an encyclopedia of Egyptian civilisation.
Pharaoh in the Nook
Hatshepsut’s Obelisk
Hatshepsut had two obelisks created for Karnak – this 0ne, the tallest surviving ancient obelisk on earth – still stands.
Obelisk in the Blue
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow, tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top. Obelisks symbolised rebirth and were used as funerary monuments. Pairs were also placed at the entrances of temples. Each obelisk was carved from a single piece of stone – typically red or rose granite from the quarries at Aswān – and then moved to its location and raised onto a base.
Hieroglyph Detail
Obelisks are carved with hieroglyphs that include religious dedications to the sun god and commemorations of the rulers – in this case Hatshepsut.
Iconography
Protected portions of the complex retain some of the original colour. These must have been brilliantly vibrant when they were fresh!
Inside Alexander’s Temple
One of the most colourful corners of the complex is the sanctuary decorated by Alexander the Great.
Akh Menou Temple
Otherwise known as the Festival Hall of Thutmose III, the morning sun is already hot when we walk through the Akh Menou Temple, …
Patterned Shadows
… and the shadows are strong. (iPhone6)
Seated Pharaoh
Tuthmosis III (also known as Thutmose III, 1458-1425 BCE) was the 6th king of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. Stepson to Hatchepsut, he became a great military and was one of Egypt’s most effective rulers.
A date palm and a faceless pharaoh: it seemed a fitting last image from a temple complex with more stories than I can comprehend.
But, learning some of the history of Ancient Egypt through its sculpture, art, and architecture is an absolute joy!
I look forward to the days when we can explore again.
Until then,
Safe Travels!
[…] a morning spent exploring Karnak Temple (see: In Worship of Ancient Gods), I had just enough time to wander some of the market streets in Luxor before our boat set sail. […]