Egypt: Karnak Complex

Luxor, Egypt
The Complex Temple of Karnak is huge, I decided to break it down in few posts

The Great Temple of Amun at Karnak
Karnak Part II - First Pylon, Great Court, Shrine of Seti II
Temple of Ramses III - Karnak Complex part III
Triumphal Monument of Sheshonq I - Karnak Complex part IV
Second Pylon, Great Hypo-style Hall - Karnak Complex part V
Third Pylon, Pavilion of Sesostris I, Central Court VI
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Pylons - Karnak Complex VII
Hall of Records, Sanctuary - Karnak Complex part VIII
Great Festival Temple of Thutmose III - Karnak Complex part IX
Rear Section of Temple of Amon, Sacred Lake - Karnak Complex part X
Southern Buildings, Karnak Cachette, Seventh to Tenth Pylons - Karnak Complex part XI
Akhenaten Temple Project - Karnak Complex Part XII
Temple of Khonsu: Plan 9 - Karnak Complex part XIII
Temple of Osiris and Opet - Karnak Complex XIV
Temple of Mut - Karnak Complex XV

Egypt : Great Festival Temple of Thutmose III Plan - Karnak Complex part IX

Karnak Complex, Luxor, Egypt :

Before describing this 'Most Glorious of Monuments' as it was called, let us first recall that Thutmose III was the creator of a vast Egyptian empire; in a series of annals he gave full details of his seventeen campaigns and records of the spoils of battle. He was the first Egyptian Pharaoh to introduce military tactics, his most successful battle technique being the blitzkrieg: some 3,000 chariots, hidden behind a hill, simultaneously dashing into action with lances flying, hooves whipping up the dust, soldiers yelling. The resulting confusion in the enemy ranks was designed to weaken their morale. It inevitably did.
Thutmose III was no war-monger .He never appointed Egyptian governors over the conquered territories. Instead he gave power to the local chieftains and, moreover, started cultural relations by bringing the sons of the chieftains to Egypt to study and absorb Egyptian culture, ideology and religion before returning to their homelands.
Following the victories of Thutmose III Egypt was justifiably imbued with a feeling of national pride, while the victor himself humbly gave thanks to Amon to the rear of the national temple at Karnak.
The Festival Temple of Thutmose III is spacious and elegant, 44 meters wide and 16 deep. The roof is supported by 20 columns in two rows and 32 square pillars on the sides. One immediately notices a lack of conformity; Thutmose ordered his workers to taper the columns downwards and not upwards and to top them with peculiar inverted calyx capitals. The capital gives a sort of tent-like effect and may have been designed to assuage the Pharaoh's thirst for outdoor living. It was never repeated. The effect is definitely clumsy. The reliefs on the pillars, which are shorter than the columns, show Thutmose III in the presence of the gods.

Grouped around the sanctuary, which comprises three chambers, were some fifty small halls and chambers. Most lie in ruin today. To the left of the sanctuary is a chamber with four clustered papyrus columns. The lower parts of the walls are decorated with exotic plants and animals brought to Egypt from Syria in the 25th year of the Pharaoh's reign. It says a great deal for the character of Thutmose III that, despite his prowess as a warrior, his ability to topple the powerful Queen Hatschepsut from the throne and his vow to revenge his people for their conquest by the Hyksos, he should have found time and interest to import flowers and animals into his native land.

To the right of the sanctuary is what is now known as the Alexander Room. It was originally built by Thutmose III and was restored by Alexander the Great. The reliefs show Alexander, and in some instances Thutmose III, sacrificing to the gods.
To the south of the Alexander Room is a hall with eight sixteen-sided columns. The two small chambers with columns, followed by seven other chambers, carry reliefs of Thutmose III.

Egypt : Hall of Records, Sanctuary - Karnak Complex part VIII

Karnak Complex, Luxor, Egypt :
The granite gateway of the sixth pylon was restored by Seti I and as we pass through it we enter what has become known as the Hall of Records of Thutmose III. These were the state records made by the priests of the temple to detail the sources of gifts and booty received by them. Of course, following Thutmose's military victories Karnak was now increasingly filled with gold and silver treasures from far afield, as well as with magnificent bronze weapons of war and furniture of ivory and ebony.
The most characteristic feature of this Hall of Records are the two stately granite pillars, one bearing the lotus of Upper Egypt and the other the papyrus of Lower Egypt in high relief.
These rather unusual twin symbols emphasize that the unity of the two lands, formed and broken many times in their long history, was intact in the 18th Dynasty.
Beyond is the Sanctuary which comprises two chambers. It is of pink granite and was constructed by the brother of Alexander the Great , Philip Arrhidaeus, on the site of an earlier chamber. The walls are finely carved and colored; the reliefs on the upper reaches of the wall still retain their color. On the outer wall of the sanctuary on the right-hand side is a superb relief in excellent condition of Philip being crowned and presented to the gods (above) and of the festal barges of Amon being carried in priestly procession (below).On the left-hand outer wall of the sanctuary are the Annals of Thutmose III, depicting details of the cities and tribes subdued in his military campaigns.

Leaving the sanctuary we come to a large open space where there are very scanty remains of Middle Kingdom structures. Beyond rises the Great Festival Temple of Thutmosc III.

Egypt : Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Pylons Plan - Karnak Complex VII

Karnak Complex, Luxor, Egypt :

We now proceed to a much ruined part of the temple. The fourth pylon, built by Thutmose I, is followed by a colonnade with a strange and interesting history.Within this enclosed area are clues to family feuds, petty jealousies and religious differences, to say nothing of Pharaonic vanity. The colonnade was originally designed by Thutmose I and it was planned to have a roof of cedar. In it stands an obelisk, the tallest known, and one of two erected by Queen Hatshepsut, who removed part of the roof of her father's colonnade to place them there. Hatshepsut's co-regent and successor, Thutmose III, at a later date in the family feud had a wall built to hide the obelisks of his predecessor, this being a simpler expedient than their removal and destruction. He also obliterated Hatschepsut's name and inserted his own as making sacrifices to Amon. The figure of Amon himself was obliterated by Akhenaten and restored by Seti I, thus putting an end to the vicissitudes suffered for two hundred years by the colonnade of Thutmose I.

The beautiful remaining obelisk of Hatshepsut was erected in the 16th year of her reign. It was made of a single block of pink Aswan granite of the finest quality.The apex was once covered with a mixture of gold and silver. This lofty spire records the fact that it was made in seven months. It weighs something like 317,515 kilogrammes (700,000 lbs). One cannot but marvel at the tenacity required merely to quarry it, let alone to cart it to the Nile, transport it along its waters, disembark it and finally erect it with perfect accuracy on a pedestal.

For ming the rear wall of the colonnade is the fifth pylon, also erected by Thutmose I. Passing through it we enter Thutmose I's second colonnade, which originally comprised twenty sixteen sided columns. It is now very much in ruin. On each side of the central passage Thutmose III constructed a pair of chambers and beyond this rises the last and smallest pylon, the sixth pylon, erected by Thutmose III. On each lace of the pylon are lists of tribes of the south which were subjugated by Thutmose III's army, and also those of Syria, which alone numbers 119. The conquered territories are shown as an elliptical hieroglyph character surmounted by a human bust with arms bound behind the back. The Syrians are depicted with pointed beards and heavy robes. In long processions they bear their tributes to be recorded by the vizier.

Egypt : Third Pylon, Pavilion of Sesostris I, Central Court - Complex of Karnak part VI

Karnak Complex, Luxor, Egypt

At the rear of the hypostyle hall is the reconstructed third pylon buill by Amenhotep III.It certainly needs more than a little imagination to reconstruct in the mind's eye the gold and silver inlay, the flagstaffs and splendour of this one-time entrance to the temple. When Amenhotep III was constructing it he was simultaneously finalizing plans for the colonnaded hall at the Luxor temple. Together they formed his most impressive architectural

achievements. Some years ago when soil drain age was being checked to avoid the crumbling of columns from undermining, the pylon was found to contain in its core the ruins of temples and shrines of earlier periods. The task of extracting the inscribed or painted blocks deep in the pylon's foundation , whilst propping up existing walls prior to reconstruction, was and still is, an exacting one. And the matching of the extracted pieces with their partners in pattern and history has been extremely time-consuming. But with the successful removal and complete reconstruction of some of the lost master-pieces, these labors have received their supreme reward. The Pavilion of Sesotris I, a 12th Dynasty structure erected for the Jubilec of the Pharaoh, is the earliest structure at Karnak today. Its blocks were rescued from obscurity and reassembled just north of the main temple to Amon within the girdle-wall, where it can be seen by special permission. The walls of the pavilion are made of fine limestone, and the reliefs, minutely and precisely carved in high relief, are amongst the finest to be found in Luxor. They show the restraint and austerity typical of the Middle Kingdom when the work was unencumbered by too much detail.The simple shrine consists of twenty-four columns and the pedestal on which the Amon barge was placed to let the priestly bearers rest. It has been decided that the original site was on one side of the paved thorough-fare leading from Karnak temple to Luxor temple.A shrine which can be traced to the reigns of Amenhotep I, Thutmose II and Thutmose IV was also found in the third pylon and has been reconstructed immediately to the north of the Pavilion of Sesostris. It is made of alabaster. Since this was a medium used mainly for statues and offering-tables it is not often that we find a shrine or temple in alabaster. It is small, simple, of beautiful proportions and in nearly perfect condition. On the right-hand of the inner wall is a particularly lovely representation of the Pharaoh kneeling before a table of offerings.
Also extracted from Amenhotep's third pylon are finely inscribed granite blocks that must once have been a dramatic structure in red and black, built by Queen Hatschepsut. Her figure, carved in low relief, has not been defaced.

One cannot help wondering why temples and shrines were dismantled and used for new constructions. Akhenaten's temple to Aten is easily explained because with his passing the worship of Amon was reinstated and reference to sun-worship was obliterated. But why should the exquisite temple of Sesostris have been hidden in a pylon? And the temple of Hatschcpsut? Because she was a woman and not recognized as a Pharaoh of Egypt, despite her beard, male dress and attempts to prove her divine origin? Then why should the small and exquisite alabaster shrine have been destined for the same fate? The illustrious Amenhotep the Magnificent could hardly have been short of raw material.
In the Central Court of the temple is the last survivor of four obelisks erected in pairs by Thutmose I under the faithful guidance of his chief architect, Ineni, who brought them from the granite quarries of Aswan. There are three vertical inscriptions on each face of this obelisk: the central one dedicated by Thutmose I himself, the other two additions by Ramses IV and VI.

Second Pylon, Great Hypo-style Hall

Luxor, Egypt.

We return to the great court of the temple and proceed towards the second pylon, the pylon of Ramses II, The center section was originally restored by the Ptolemies. It is now being reconstructed after the removal of the blocks from Akhenaten's Sun Temple to Aten which were used as filling for the core. Just before the pylon is a small vestibule flanked by two large statues. The one on the left, in red granite, is of Panejem, son-in-law of the high priest.

This is the statue already mentioned as having been found under the second pylon.

The Great Hypostyle Hall, fruit of Egypt' s power and wealth and one of the most massive of human creations, covers an area of

4,983 square metres. To support the roof 134 columns were arranged in sixteen rows. The double row of central columns leading from the doorway of the second pylon eastwards towards the sanctuary is higher than the others. The smooth-shafted central columns are twenty-one meters high and are topped with calyx capitals large enough to hold one hundred standing men. The somewhat squat side columns have bud capitals and the discrepancy in height is made up by square pillars between the steps of the roof. The space between these pillars once held windows and served to light the entire hall, revealing that the walls, the shafts of the columns, the architrave and infact every available space was covered with inscriptions and reliefs. It has been stated in almost every description of this hall to date, but must nevertheless be repelled here, that the whole of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris could he comfortably accommodated within its walls.

The hypostyle hall was planned and begun by Ramses I and was continued by his son Seti I on a scale far surpassing Amenhotep Ill's unfinished hypostyle hall at Luxor. It was finally completed by Seti's son Ramses II. Although Seti I was responsible for the construction of the entire northern half of the hall and also the central aisle, and although Ramses II built only the southern portion, it is the latter who has secured credit for the greater part of the work.

The overall effect is awe-inspiring. Although some critics have commented on the less-than-elegant columns at the sides or on the fact that 'you can't see the trees for forest', its magnificence is indisputable. When Napoleon's learned entourage first saw it, the hall looked as though devastated by a hurricane. Leaning columns seemed on the verge of collapse, many were already prostrate and the flag-stones were littered with debris.

Only one single column (the first in the sixth row) bears the name of Ramses l, who started its construction in his brief two years reign. It may be noticed that the reliefs of Seti I (in the northern portion) are in flat relief and are somewhat more delicate than the deeper, more definite inscriptions of Ramses II (in the southern portion from the eleventh row). Most of the reliefs depict adoration of the Theban god. Rarnses Ill, Ramses IV, Ramses VI and Ramses XII all recorded their names.

On the outside of the hypostyle hall are some important historical reliefs . These are accessible from the exit at the side or from the central court . They are portrayals of Seti I's and Ramses II's military campaigns in Asia , the like of which had not been seen for two generations since the expansion of the empire under Thutmose III. There are over sixty meters of representations from the spectacular charges into the foe with arrows and chariots to the ultimate presentation of prisoners of war to Amon, Mut and Khonsu.

Ramses II's campaign was against the Hittites. It is depicted on the southern wall and contains the actual text of the treaty, the earliest surviving international non-aggression pact. According to the treaty each state, having equal, independent status, renounced all ideas of aggression against the other. It declared that peace should henceforth prevail between the two kings and all their dependents and reaffirmed earlier treaties existing between the two countries. A mutual defence alliance, co-operation in the humane treatment of disloyal subjects and also in the extradition of political refugees and immigrants, formed clauses of the pact.

It bore the title :

'The treaty which the great chief of Kheta , Khetasar .the valiant,  the son of Merasar, the great chief of Kheta, the valiant, the grandson of Seplel, the great chief of Kheta, the valiant, made, upon a silver tablet for Usermare-Setepnere (Ramses II), the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant, the son of Seti I, the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant; the grandson of Ramses l, the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant; the good treaty of peace and of brotherhood, setting peace between them forever,"

   Witnesses to the treaty were a thousand gods and goddesses of the land of the Hittites and a thousand gods and goddesses from the land of Egypt.

The battle scenes are similar to those on the first pylon of the temple of Luxor already described.

Seti I's battles took place in Lebanon, southern Palestine, and Syria, and are depicted on the northern wall. The series begins on the eastern wall where (in the upper row) Seti alights from his chariot in the wooded Lebanon. The Lebanese are obliged to cut down trees for the Pharaoh. In the lower row Seti is in battle with the bedouins of southern Palestine (to the right). He drives his chariot, drawn by two horses, whilst firing arrows at the enemv.

Confused heaps of dead and wounded lie on the ground. The fortress of Canaan, above the battlefield, is used as a hide out and the inhabitants assist fugitives to escape into it.

On the left hand section of the main wall is the battle in Syria. In the upper row the Pharaoh advances to the front line of the attack, shooting arrows that send the enemy, both charioteers and cavalry, fleeing in confusion . In the fortress which is surrounded by a moat the inhabitants are surprisingly carved full face as they

peer, from behind trees, Seti is also depicted binding captives, leading or dragging them. Two rows of captured Syrians are presented to Amon, Mut and Khonsu along with valuable booty.

In the lower row is a triumphal march through Palestine (left), a battle .with the bedouins .of southern Palestine and (right) the victorious march from Syria. The border between Asia and Africa is marked by a crocodile-infested canal bordered by reeds and linked by a bridge, At each end of this bridge is a for tified guardhouse and, on the home front, Seti is welcomed by groups of priests carrying garlanded flowers. Captives and booty are presented to Amon.

On the right-hand wall is the battle of Kadesh (in the top row), the battle against the Libyans (in the middle row), and the battle against the Hittites in northern Syria (in the lower row). The defenders of Kadesh are pierced by arrows. The Libyans, distinguished by a single plaited braid and feathers, are smitten with the sword. The Hittites, shot at by the charioted Pharaoh, take flight on foot, on horseback and in chariot. In the lower row, when Seti hands his captives and the captured vessels over to Amon, Mut and Khonsu, the goddess of truth is present.

On each side of the doorway separating these two walls are colossal representations of Amon holding several rows of captured nations and cities by cords and presenting the sword of victory to Seti l. Seti raises his club against a band of foes whomhe dangles by the hair.

The Great Temple of Amun at Karnak

Luxor, Egypt

The temple of Amon at Karnak, together with its outlying buildings, is a natural museum of ancient Egyptian art, a blueprint of the power and glory of a golden era and a mine of historical information. Beneath its giant architraves and between bulky column and wall relief lie the records of its growth from a modest 12th Dynasty shrine to a local deity, to a temple of splendid and unimaginable proportions dedicated to the King of Gods, Amon-Ra. It owes a colonnade to one Pharaoh, a pylon to another ; an inspiration here, a whim there. But each has the sole purpose of pleasing the god that would ensure them a lifelong, powerful and glorious.

Unraveling the secrets of two thousand years has been a major feat of Egyptology, made the more difficult by the fact that architectural magnificence did not necessarily run parallel with military or civic excellence. Family rivalries and kingly jealousies were as often the incentive behind a construction as creative inspiration. One cannot help being amused for example at the oft-repeated tendency of the reigning Pharaoh to alter the royal cartouch of a predecessor and so take the credit for all the work he accomplished.

To add to the confusion, some parts of the buildings were raised from dismantled shrines or the walls of other temples. In addition, Karnak had twice to endure the degradation of Amon, at the hands of Akhenaten and of the early Christians. An idea of the complexity of the task may be gauged when we learn that in the core of Amenhotep III's monumental third pylon were buried at least three structures of earlier periods; that a valuable historical inscription on how Kamose conquered the the Hyksos -- a period about which very little is known - was found text-downwards beneath a statue of Panejem which had been buried in the foundation of the second pylon of Ramses II; that both Ramses I and Seti I used blocks from Akhenaten's sun temple for their large-scale additions to the temple; and that Harmhab crammed his ninth pylon with thousands of inscribed sandstone blocks from this same 'heretical' era.

Thutmose I, who ascended the throne at the beginning of the 18th Dynasty, actually made the first major alterations to the original shrine. He had two colonnades and two pylons built Between the latter, Hatschepsut ,his daughter and builder of the magnificent mortuary temple of Der el Bahri, erected a pair of huge obelisks. She also made some alterations to the side of the sanctuary. These were continued by her co-regent and successor Thutmose III. Though Thutmose III showed less interest in perpetuating his memory in impressive monuments than in creating an Egyptian world empire, he did build a festival temple to the rear of the sanctuary, surrounding it with a girdle-wall, on the inner side of which were a number of small chambers.

It was Amenhotep III, builder of the temple of Luxor, who altered the front of Karnak temple. He raised a new pylon in front of that of Thutmose I, but, impressive though it must have been, it was to be eclipsed by the additions of the19th Dynasty.

Ramses I erected the second pylon during his one year in power. Then his son, Seti I, started the construction of a huge hypostyle hall between the pylons of Ramscs I and Amenhotep III. This work was continued by his successor Ramses II. Always going one better than his ancestors, Ramses II also built a second girdle-wall outside that of Thutmose III and with it the Great Temple of Amon had almost received its final, magnificent form. It was now officially and justifiably styled 'The Throne of the World'.

Seti II and Ramses III had two small separate temples built in front of the great complex. In the 22nd Dynasty under the Libyan kings of the Bubastides these were incorporated into a huge colonnaded court in front of the pylon of Ramses I. In the 25th Dynasty Taharka the Nubian also erected some gigantic columns in this court. The last addition to the temple, its entrance pylon, was erected in the Nubian Dynasty.