Just east of the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes, is the modern city of Luxor. This city is the site of majestic temples that make up the area called the Temple of Karnak.

The buildings in the Temple of Karnak surround a central courtyard. The main building, the Great Temple, is a towering tribute to the sun god Amon-Ra. Construction on the building first began in 1900 B.C., but many different pharaohs erected additions and the temple was not complete until the fourth century A.D., more than two thousand years after construction first began.

The most beautiful room in the temple is the dazzling hypostyle hall, which has architectural elements that have been made iconic by Egyptian-themed movies. A hypostyle hall is a room with a flat ceiling supported by columns. Sunlight streams in through this hall’s 134 columns and creates odd shadows and reflections on the brilliant wall paintings that decorate the hall.

The most famous part of the temple complex is the monument of the scarab beetle, an ancient symbol of Ra. According to legend, the sun god Ra fulfills the wishes of whoever walks around the monument three times counter clockwise. Dozens of ruins, old priests’ houses, and storehouses also surround the Temple of Karnak.

The Temple of Karnak is linked to another archeological site, called the Luxor temples, by a grand 2-mile avenue. Although few of the stone sphinxes that once lined the walk still stand, there is still an overall feeling of majesty and splendor.           

Much of this site is under reconstruction and will soon be restored to its ancient grandeur. The reconstruction of this amazing historical site will take a long time, but historians think it will be well worth the time and effort. Restoring the Temple of Karnak will save an important bit of Egyptian history for posterity.

[Sources: Amazing Places; Atlas of World History]