Karnak
Vast temple complex built over centuries near Luxor, Egypt.
Karnak, the modern name for the ancient Egyptian temple complex of Ipet-isut, is a vast collection of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. It was the main place of worship of the 18th Dynastic Theban Triad, with the god Amun as its head, and construction spanned from the Middle Kingdom into the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
- location
- Near Luxor, Egypt
- original_name
- Ipet-isut ('The Most Select of Places')
- main_deity
- Amun (head of Theban Triad)
Lore & Background
The Karnak Temple Complex, known in antiquity as Ipet-isut, began construction under Senusret I during the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom, though most extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. It served as the primary religious center for the Theban Triad, headed by the god Amun. The complex's modern name derives from the nearby village of El-Karnak, meaning 'fortified village'.
Reader's Guide
The site also shows later reuse, including Coptic churches.
Did You Know?
- The complex's original name, Ipet-isut, means 'The Most Select of Places'.
- An unfinished obelisk left at its quarry in Aswan provides evidence of how obelisks were quarried.
- The sun god's shrine was built so that light focuses on it during the winter solstice.
More in Notable Buildings And Monuments 25-34
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