Travelers of All Ages: Karnak Temple

This post is going to be about the ancient Egyptian temples of Karnak. They’re located in the city of Luxor, 400 miles south of Cairo. I know I usually write about experiences that I expected to be worse than they turned out to be, but this one will be a little different. I’m going to share my experiences in the Temple Complex, which I was expecting to be great already. Still, it turned out to be every bit as good as I thought it would be. That’s pretty rare. Read on!

Karnak Temple at Luxor:

Did it live up to expectations: Yes

Before Going: 10/10

Reason for Score: It was a very important place historically, and I love Egyptian History.

Why you should:

The Temples of Karnak were one of the highlights of my day in Luxor. The huge complex actually consists of three‘Karnak’ temples and one ‘Luxor’ temple further south. Among them, you can wander for days. I have to admit, it’s pretty cool to stand in the center of religion for the world’s first empire. Another neat thing is the myriad of obelisks scattered around the area, from the golden days of Egypt. These great spires have risen above the landscape for thousands of years. The coolest thing about Luxor is a lone obelisk pedestal in front of the Temple of Luxor. The obelisk that used to stand here was moved to the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Seeing this was one of the best experiences for me, because I had seen the obelisk standing in Paris the year before. It was really amazing for me to see the connection between two of the places I’d been. Also, in the back of the Temple of Amun-Ra, there is another obelisk base that used to hold an obelisk now standing in the square behind the St. John the Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano) church in Rome, which I had also visited. I looked hard for this one, but was unable to find it. If you manage to, please send me a picture. However, the most visually appealing part of the monument was still, by far, the Great Hypostyle Hall. This is a massive room filled with massive columns. It takes four men linked arm in arm to surround even one. These are made even more impressive by the fact that they’re entirely covered in writing and painting. Someone else famous has been enjoying the columns too- James Bond. The Spy who Loved Me has a scene right in the Hall. No one should miss out on these great sights.

How:

This is one of the only sites I have written about to which I recommend going on your own. It is easy to tour the maze of rooms and courtyards for hours. Any skilled traveler should bring a guidebook to help them navigate this humongous place. I particularly like the Egypt Pocket Guides by Alberto Siliotti. Anyway, the guards/soldiers at the temples are very friendly. They try to help you, and will lead you to some experiences you might otherwise have missed. Be aware that it is customary in this region to give baksheesh, or tips, whenever someone helps you. A dollar or so will usually suffice. Do not be afraid of this, it is worth a few dollars to improve your vacation experience and it is generally worth it.

After Going: 10/10

Reason for Score: There was a daunting amount of wonderful things to see

Email me at michaelworldtravel@gmail.comwith any questions or comments