Luxor, Egypt - Temple of Karnak -April 6
It was a 3 1/2 hour bus ride from the port of Safaga to Luxor and the Temple of Karnak, on the east bank of the Nile River.
The Karnak Temple complex dating to about 2050 BC, is the largest temple complex ever constructed anywhere in the world and is possibly the most important of all Egyptian monuments.
It developed over a period of 1500 years, and approximately thirty pharaohs contributed to the buildings. The Temple Complex consists of a number of temples, chapels, and buildings in the form of a village, and therefore named Karnak, or ‘fortified village’.
The Great Hypostyle Hall of 134 massive columns is one of the most impressive places in all of Egypt.
At one time a road spanned between the Temples of Karnak and Luxor and was lined with hundreds of ram statues. It is currently being excavated and renovated to its original roadway.
The ram was a symbol of the god Amun, the chief deity worshipped in the Great Temple of Karnak. Each sphinx protects, between its forelegs, a standing statue of the king--originally Ramesses II (
It was a blistering 109 degree heat as we slowly walked through the area, viewing the original vibrant colors (being carefully cleaned) of the beautiful columns and statues.
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