KARNAK TEMPLE
Read moreHere you are at one of Egypt's most famous sites, and you're in for a thrill...
Jean-François Champollion wrote: "At last I went to the palace, or rather the city of monuments, at Karnak. There appeared to me all the magnificence of the Pharaohs, all that men have imagined and executed of the greatest. (...) All that I had admired with enthusiasm on the left bank, seemed to me miserable in comparison with the gigantic conceptions with which I was surrounded... Suffice it to say that we in Europe are no more than Lilliputians, and that no people, ancient or modern, has conceived the art of architecture on so sublime a scale, so broad, so grandiose, as did the ancient Egyptians."Its grandiose dimensions (around 1.5 km long and 700 m wide) and the tangle of its buildings make it look more like a city than a simple temple! The temple was the world's largest religious complex, and the site originated on a sacred spot, the sacred hill, from which, according to the ancient Egyptians, the world was built. Several pharaohs sought to build temples in their own image, and the complex was extended many times. Recent developments have sought to restore the relationship between the first pylon and the Theban mountain; the trees have been cut down, and in their place an immense pavement of polished granite has been laid...
Karnak as a whole, vast, dense and bushy, cannot be revealed at a glance. In itself, it would deserve a place that would exceed the limits of this guide. For this reason, we strongly advise amateurs to enlist the services of a qualified guide. As for the others, they should let their gaze linger on these innumerable wonders as they please, without trying to see and understand everything, as this is impossible in just one or a few hours.
The temple is made up of several distinctsections: Montu (in ruins) to the north, Mut to the south and, between the two, the great temple of Amun, by far the most interesting part.
In front of the first pylon, preceded by sphinxes, was the original landing stage, of which two ramps remain. This first pylon, never completed, was one of the last constructions undertaken at Karnak. All the pylons you'll come across on your way were, at one time or another, the outer limits of the complex, which were constantly being extended.
In the main courtyard, on your left, the small temple of Sety II is dedicated to the Amun-Mut-Khonsu triad, which at the time of its construction was outside the enclosure. To the right is the temple of Ramses III, with some very realistic bas-reliefs on the walls.
Oncepast the second pylon , a forest of 134 columns appears. It's a titanic work, begun under Amenophis III. This pharaoh was responsible for the erection of the twelve columns of the central nave (23 m high and with capitals able to accommodate more than forty people standing!). Successive kings, notably Seti I and Ramses II, completed the beautiful edifice. The hall (102 m x 53 m) originally had a ceiling.
Between the third and fourth pylons lies the court of Amenophis III. Only one of the four obelisks, once in place, remains. Turning right, you enter a courtyard known as "the hiding place", where phenomenal quantities of stone and bronze statuettes (over ten thousand in all) were found, deposited there by the priests. It was unthinkable to destroy a representation of a god or his son, Pharaoh. The next courtyard contains the base of an impressively large obelisk, measuring 3.20 m on each side (Hatshepsut's obelisk measures "only" 2.60 m). To your left, against the backdrop of the sound and light stages, the greenish waters of the sacred lake, where ritual navigations took place, shimmer. You can't help but stop in front of the large scarab carved into the granite, dedicated to the god Atoum-Khepri.
Beyond the fourth pylon, an obelisk erected by Queen Hatshepsut towers 30 m above the surrounding buildings. Originally, there were two obelisks, their tops covered in gold.
Beyond the sixth and final pylon, a small courtyard gives access to the sanctuary, preceded by two imposing pink granite pillars decorated with the emblems of Lower and Upper Egypt.
The sanctuary, also in granite, was built quite late under Philip Arrhidaios (323). It served as a resting place for sacred boats. The next courtyard (former site of the primitive sanctuary, of which nothing remains) leads to the festival hall of Thoutmes III. Transformed into a church by the Christians, one of its few pillars still bears traces of ancient paintings. The best-known of the solar halls is the "botanical garden", with its exotic flowers and animals.
Adjacent to the northern enclosure is the small temple of Ptah built by Thutmes III, one of whose three sanctuaries houses a black granite statue of Sekhmet.
MUMMIFICATION MUSEUM
Read moreA beautiful, well laid-out museum, where the art of mummification is presented step by step. Along with the Luxor Museum, this is one of Egypt's most important museums, behind only the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Opened in 1997, the museum explains the 70-day mummification process. During your visit, you'll discover the curiosities of this ancestral rite, such as the stellar origin of the instruments or the social exclusion suffered by the workers. A human mummy and mummified animals are also on display.
LUXOR TEMPLE
Read moreNow you're ready to discover a superb temple not to be missed. Most of the present-day structure of Luxor Temple dates from the reign of Amenhotep III (1400 BC) and Ramses II (1235 BC). It is mainly dedicated to Amun, but also to Mut, his wife, and Khonsu, their son. This temple was very busy during the Opet festivities. The three sacred barks of Amun, Mut and Khonsu, stored year-round in their sanctuary at Karnak, would leave the temple on the shoulders of the priests to the general jubilation.
A 3 km-long alley, called dromos, lined with sphinxes, some of which are still visible, once again links Luxor to Karnak.
In front of the first pylon built by Ramses, only one obelisk remains. Both had been offered to France in 1831 by Mohammed Ali, but only one was transported to Parisand has since been enthroned on the Place de la Concorde. Symbolically, as soon as he was elected, President François Mitterrand, whose attachment to Egypt was well known, returned the obelisk that had remained in place.
Crossing the first pylon, on your right, you'll discover a chapel with three chambers, used as resting places for the barks of Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Built by Tuthmosis III, this chapel breaks with the parallelism of the courtyard columns. On the left, overlooking the site, you'll notice the unusual location of a small mosque built in the 13th century, at a time when the ruins of Luxor were still buried under sand. There was later talk of moving it, but the subject no longer seems to be on the agenda. The courtyard, built during the reign of Ramses II, is adorned with imposing statues of him. It opens onto an impressive avenue lined with columns, behind which you can observe processional scenes from the Opet festival. The bas-reliefs date back to Tutankhamun and Horemheb. The next courtyard, that of Amenhotep III, surrounded by columns, was once covered by a ceiling of such magnitude that it's hard to imagine its size. The repository in front of the sanctuary was rebuilt under Alexander the Great. The bas-reliefs depict him in the company of Amun, demonstrating the god's enduring importance in early Greek times. Try to time your visit for the end of the day or in the evening, it's grandiose. All lit up, it stands out against the blackish backdrop that night has laid over the city. It's magical!
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART
Read moreLocated on the cornice leading to Karnak, in a modern building, it houses a small but splendid collection of pieces of rare quality. The interior layout, carried out by a team from the Brooklyn Museum in New York, is an undeniable success: the scenography is clear and perfectly organized.
Entrance hall, works from the 18th dynasty - colossal head of Amenophis III in red Aswan granite; the features of this head are particularly round, giving the whole a gentle air to the king. - Statue of Amon in limestone; the main god of the Theban Triad is represented under the triads of King Tutankhamun, whose youth and vigour can be felt. - Hathor's head in blackened wood enhanced with gilded copper horns; this head is part of the treasure of King Tutankhamun's tomb, most of whose works are kept in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Room of the "hiding place" (ground floor): works found together in the court of Amenophis III - Monumental statue of Amenophis III in red granite; touching composition magnifying the youth and beauty of the smiling king
Great Hall (ground floor): a majority of works from the 18th dynasty - painted bas-relief of Thutmes III in limestone and pigments; the freshness of the colours of this relief is striking and gives a true picture of what the colourful walls of the temples were like. - Statue of the god Sebek and King Amenophis III; it is rare to see the god Sebek, of the triad of Kom Ombo, represented, and the staging of the statue inspires fear and respect. - Colossal head of Sesostris III (12th dynasty) in red granite; a fine example of Egyptian statuary, which sometimes represented its rulers unvarnished, tired, marked by the years like this head.
New room(ground floor): - Mummy of Ahmosis, founder of the 18th dynasty, originally from Thebes; - Mummy of Ramses I, back from a long journey.
Great Hall - Talatat Wall (first floor): this wall built by Akhenaten had been destroyed and the stones used for the 9th Pylon of Karnak; it has been reconstructed and reassembled and depicts four scenes of domestic life, work in the workshops, the ritual procession and worship in the sun. - A display case contains other objects that were found in Tutankhamen's tomb, including the touching golden rosettes that decorated the cloth of his sarcophagus. - Monumental heads of Akhenaten.
DROMOS
Read moreThe dromos (Greek for "path") is a 3.3 km-long path used by the sacred boats in the Opet ceremony procession to reach the Nile via the sacred lake and canal, paved with large boulders and lined with lion-bodied sphinxes. Some bear a ram's head, others a human head. At the time, there were over 1,000 sphinx statues in the alley. The two temples of Luxor and Karnak can be reached on foot along the ancient alley in less than 1 hour (if it's not too hot). Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.
DAHABIYA NILE SAILING
Read moreLocal agency Dahabiya Nile Sailing specializes in organizing dahabieh cruises on the Nile. Samir's programs are designed to let you discover the treasures of Egypt as travelers of the past did, on a magnificent sailing boat with a select group. The agency belongs to the Real Egypt group, which specializes in tailor-made tours of Egypt and offers guaranteed departure dates all year round. Our team of qualified French-speaking guides and advisors will help you organize the trip of your dreams.