We saw the sun rise over Luxor, Thebes, Waset. We saw the light spread over the river and the rays illuminate the western mountains until they glowed. Just like the ancients must have done, we saw the world change from darkness to light over the still water. An ibis glided on silent wings to land at a small rock. On the western shore, hot air balloons were already ascending. Today was a clear day and their passengers would have a breathtaking view over the momuments - Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut´s Mortuary Temple.

Taxi from the cruiser which sits by the Luxor Museum, to Karnak, cost 20 LE. Entrance to Karnak was 50 LE this time, which is a rise from 40 LE two years ago. When we arrived, the two unfinished First Pylons greeted us, looking as solemn and secretive as they had done for the last three thousand years. I never can stop wishing that those stone walls could yield a little of what they have seen and witnessed under their long existence. The silence which emanates from these walls is so pugnant, so heavy with long ago spoken words and actions.

So many words, so many articles, so many books have been written about Karnak already. For net friends I can reccommend http://www.touregypt.net , make a search for Karnak, and you will get a long list of articles, describing it in detail! This is only our personal photos and impressions together with a little guiding on what and where we went.

Already early in the morning the place is crowded but it is still cool and pleasant to walk around. Groups gather in the courtyard, listening to their guards laying out the history (with embellishments) to a more or less captive audience. This shot was a lucky strike, nothing but the distant-looking ram sphinxes and the windowed wester pylon where the groves for the pennants are clearly visible.

The area in fron of the main entrance is now being cleared of old houses and bazars. To the right of the temple is a huge, no, enormous parking lot for buses and taxis. However, the walk to the temple is now much longer. We heard that there is planned a new bazaar and other conveniences, maybe a cafe´/restaurant, a Visitor´s Center, like what has already been built at Dendera.

Another interesting piece of news is that excavations are going on for reconstructing the whole processional route going from Karnak to Luxor. We caught a glimpse of this passing in the car, but there was no time to take a photo.

Inside the First Courtyard, just behind the western pylon, a man sits on the ground. He is dressed in a dark galabeya and wears a white turban on his head. In front of him is a large piece of stone and in his hand is a chisel. Now and then, when he is not exchanging words with his friend nearby, he takes a stab at the stone with his chisel, making the same noise echo around the courtyard, which was heard here daily, for nearly three thousand years ago.

On the backside of the western pylon, there are still remains of the old mudbrick ramp used for construction works. On both sides of the courtyard, rows of ram-headed sphinxes are lined up, probably they once stood on the processional route.

We crossed the courtyard, leaving aside the other bark shine and the one remaining column of Taharqa, to visit the bark shrine of Ramesses III. This is only one of his buildings and a small one. He wanted to be at least as great and mighty as Ramesses II, his legendary forerunner, so he tried to build even bigger and better temples and even gave two of his sons the same names as his forerunner: Amenhirkhopshef and Khaemwaese. Maybe he had an inferiority complex as he wasn´t part of the old Ramesside family. However, he was the last of the really great of Egypt´s Pharaohs.

This bark shrine was built as a copy of the mortuary temple at Medinet Habu although much smaller. There are Osiride statues of the king on both sides of the first court. A portico leads to a small Hypostyle Hall. This inner space is partly roofed over and here are three shrines for the Triad of Waset (Amun, Mut, Khonsu).

Looking through the portico towards the small hypostyle hall and the shrine of Amun,
which is flanked by the two shrines for Mut and for Khonsu.

If you walk to the east,between this temple and the second pylon, you pass through the so called Bubastite Port with scenes of Sheshonk I smiting captives. It leads off from the main temple.

Passing through it, you come upon a stonepaved route which leads to the Khonsu Temple. On each side of this route many hundreds of granite blocks lay waiting to be puzzled together, they all bear fragments of inscriptions. There´s no telling how many years - if ever - it will take before these blocks will find their correct context, or even if someone is working on it right now. Turning back gives you these interesting, and somewhat unusual view of the Ipet-Isut:

If you look very closely, you can very faintly see the statue of Rameses II in front of the 2nd Pylons.
To the left is the Shrine of Ramesses III and just behind that is the western first pylon.


A good view of the backside of the First pylon.


Overview of the Great Hypostyle Hall. This is how it looks from outside.
Hatshepsut´s Obeliskis visible to the right and the foreground is strewn with the inscribed blocks.


A little further to the south. Thutmose III´s Festival Hall hardly visible in the center and behind that, the portal erected by Nectanebo I, which makes out the ent od the east-west axis of Ipet-Isut.

Wandering across the open space you could stumble upon some intriguing remains, like this giant hand from a statue of Amenhotep III:

"Amenhotep, Ruler of Waset".
In the background the lone papyrus column of Taharqa.

The rapidly climbing sun urged us towards the shade in the Khonsu temple. Images of this will continue on next page.