The Temple of Khonsu
• The Temple of Khonsu is an ancient Egyptian temple. It is
located within the large Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak, in
Luxor, Egypt. The edifice is an example of an almost
complete New Kingdom temple, and was originally
constructed by Ramesses III on the site of an earlier
temple.
• Karnak Temple of Khonsu, within the precincts of Karnak,
was built by Ramesses III it consists of a peristyle court
which is bordered by a portico of twenty-eight columns.
There is also a hypostyle hall which is connected to the
sanctuary of the barque with chapels open to the left and
right and a staircase leading to the roof.
• The whole pylon, built by measures 113 feet (34.5m) in
length and 59 feet (18m) high. Four grooves are cut on its
facade to house masts with banners.
• In front of the pylon are the remnants of a colonnade
bordered by a row of sphinxes.
The Great Temple of Amun
• The Great Temple of Amun is the central temple of the huge Temples of
Karnak complex and was the religious epicenter of Theban life. It is located
on the east bank of the Nile River in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It covers
more than 100 hectares, an area larger than some ancient cities.
• This house of the gods was built on a giant scale and today remains one of
Ancient Egypt's most ambitious examples of Pharaonic era engineering and
architecture.
• Colossal columns and mammoth statues litter the halls and chambers, while
all this oversized stonework is covered in a dizzying amount of intricate
carvings.
• Over the centuries, some pillars and statues may have been felled, but
Karnak's Great Temple of Amun remains one the world's most stunning man-
made structures
• The central sector of the site, which takes up the largest amount of space, is
dedicated to Amun-Ra, a male god associated with Thebes. The area
immediately around his main sanctuary was known in antiquity as “Ipet-Sun”
which means “the most select of places.”
• Construction at Karnak started by 4,000 years ago and continued up until the
time the Romans took control of Egypt, about 2,000 years ago. Each
Egyptian ruler who worked at Karnak left his or her own architectural mark.
Obelisks
• Obelisks, or tekhenu to ancient Egyptians, first appeared in Old Kingdom Egypt (2649-
2150 BCE) in around 2300 BCE. These structures, characterized by a four-sided square
base that tapered into an isosceles pyramidion at the top, initially symbolized rebirth,
and were used as funerary monuments. These commemorative structures were believed
to attract the reviving rays of the sun, thereby allowing the resurrection of the deceased.
• The monolithic obelisk was invented by the kings of the fifth dynasty (2465-2323 BCE) in
reverence to the sun god, Re. They often had kingly connotations, representing a
connection between the spirit (ka) of the king, and the sun god. The shape of these
obelisks may have been representational, with the shaft functioning as a pillar in honor
of the sun god, and the pyramidion symbolizing the rays of the sun as they hit the earth.
Despite the new meanings of the monolithic obelisk, these gigantic structures still
functioned as funerary monuments, and were often placed at the entrance of tombs.
• Many believe that the position and height of obelisks had a direct solar relationship. The
monuments were often arranged according to traditional patterns that honored the
rising and setting of the sun.
• For Egyptians, the obelisk was a reverential monument, commemorating the dead,
representing their kings, and honoring their gods. These monuments were
representational in both structure and arrangement, serving as monuments with a
complete structure of understanding.
