Karnak Temple

Site, Luxor (ancient Thebes) · also called Karnak, Temple of Amun at Karnak, Ipet-isut, Karnak Temple Complex

Karnak has more royal hieroglyphs in one place than anywhere else in Egypt: battle texts, obelisks, chapels and the cartouches of dozens of pharaohs. It was the great temple of the god Amun, built and rebuilt for about 2,000 years.

Every king wanted his name here. The Egyptians called the temple Ipet-isut, 'the most select of places', and building ran from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 BC) into Roman times. Pylons, courts, obelisks and chapels were added one after another, each signed with royal cartouches.

That makes Karnak a lesson in carving styles. Delicate Middle Kingdom raised relief sits near deep sunk relief cut to catch the hard sun. Names were also attacked: Hatshepsut's and Akhenaten's were removed by later kings, and the empty outlines often survive.

What to see and read

Great Hypostyle Hall

134 columns, begun by Seti I and finished by Ramesses II. Seti's half has fine raised relief; on the south side Ramesses switched to deep sunk relief. Cartouches run round the column shafts.

Battle reliefs and Hittite treaty

Seti I's wars fill the outer north wall of the hall, Ramesses II's the south. Nearby is a copy of his peace treaty with the Hittites, one of the oldest known.

Obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut

Two obelisks still stand. Their columns of signs give each king's full titles and say why the obelisk was raised.

Festival hall of Thutmose III

The Akh-menu has the 'botanical garden', reliefs of plants and animals seen on campaign. His annals, a record of his wars, are cut on walls near the granite sanctuary.

Open Air Museum

Two rebuilt chapels: the White Chapel of Senusret I, with a list of Egypt's provinces, and the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut. It needs a separate ticket.

Bubastite Portal

Shoshenq I lists the towns he conquered, each name in an oval wall with a captive on top.

Names you can find here

Signs to look for

Game board Y5mn The game board spells Amun, god of Karnak, in nearly every text.
Hoe U7mr The hoe spells 'beloved' in 'beloved of Amun' after many royal names.
Scarab beetle L1ḫpr The scarab is in Menkheperre, the throne name of Thutmose III, all over the festival hall.
Ankh S34ꜥnḫ The ankh appears as Amun hands life to the king on almost every wall.

Reading the hieroglyphs here

Come early. Low sun from the side brings out sunk relief, while midday light flattens it.
On worn or high walls, photograph the sign and trace it over the photo in Hiero Lens.
Look for cartouches that were chiselled out or recut.

Point your camera at a wall Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.

Questions

What hieroglyphs should I see at Karnak?

Start with the Great Hypostyle Hall, the battle reliefs on its outer walls and the two standing obelisks. With more time, the chapels in the Open Air Museum have the clearest signs.

How long do you need at Karnak?

Plan at least three hours for the main temple. Reading inscriptions properly can fill half a day.

Where it is

Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.