Discover Egypt - Where It All Begins

28/12/2018

28/12/2018

The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings.
Building at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom.
The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head.
It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex gives its name to the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of El-Karnak, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) north of Luxor.
The complex is a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world. It is believed to be the second most visited historical site in Egypt;
only the Giza Pyramids near Cairo receive more visits.

The history of the Karnak complex is largely the history of Thebes and its changing role in the culture.
Religious centers varied by region and with the establishment of the current capital of the unified culture that changed several times.
The city of Thebes does not appear to have been of great significance before the Eleventh Dynasty and previous temple building here would have been relatively small,
with shrines being dedicated to the early deities of Thebes, the Earth goddess Mut and Montu. Early building was destroyed by invaders.
The earliest known artifact found in the area of the temple is a small, eight-sided temple from the Eleventh Dynasty, which mentions Amun-Re.was long the local tutelary deity of Thebes.
He was identified with the Ram and the Goose. The Egyptian meaning of Amun is, "hidden" or, the "hidden god".
Major construction work in the Precinct of Amun-Re took place during the Eighteenth dynasty when Thebes became the capital of the unified Ancient Egypt.

Main parts:

Precinct of Amun-Re:
This is the largest of the precincts of the temple complex, and is dedicated to Amun-Re, the chief deity of the Theban Triad.
There are several colossal statues including the figure of Pinedjem I which is 10.5 meters tall. The sandstone for this temple,
including all the columns, was transported from Gebel Silsila 100 miles (161 km) south on the Nile river.
It also has one of the largest obelisks, weighing 328 tonnes and standing 29 meters tall.

Precinct of Mut:
Located to the south of the newer Amen-Re complex, this precinct was dedicated to the mother goddess, Mut,
who became identified as the wife of Amun-Re in the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad. It has several smaller temples associated with it and has its own sacred lake,
constructed in a crescent shape. This temple has been ravaged, many portions having been used in other structures. It is not open to the public.
Six hundred black granite statues were found in the courtyard to her temple. It may be the oldest portion of the site.

Precinct of Montu:
This portion of the site is dedicated to the son of Mut and Amun-Re, Montu, the war-god of the Theban Triad.
It is located to the north of the Amun-Re complex and is much smaller in size. It is not open to the public.

Temple of Amenhotep IV (deliberately dismantled):
The temple that Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) constructed on the site was located east of the main complex, outside the walls of the Amun-Re precinct.
It was destroyed immediately after the death of its builder, who had attempted to overcome the powerful priesthood who had gained control over Egypt before his reign.
It was so thoroughly demolished that its full extent and layout is currently unknown. The priesthood of that temple regained their powerful position as soon as Akhenaten died,
and were instrumental in destroying many records of his existence.

28/12/2018

The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel (أبو سمبل in Arabic) in Nubia, southern Egypt.
They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan (about 300 km by road).
The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments," which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan).

The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE,
-"Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1264 BCE and lasted for about 20 years"-
as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh.
However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.

The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser,
the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.

the two temples at Abu Simbel among the most magnificent monuments in the world
The Temple of Re-Harakhte (The Sun Temple of Ramsis II):
The main temple was dedicated to Ramsis II and to the four universal gods Ptah, Re-Harakhte, Amun-Re, and to Ramsis II himself.
Of the seven temples he built, Abu Simbel is considered to be the most impressive.

Nefertari's Temple of Hathor (Abu Simbel - Small Temple):
Hathor was the wife of the Sun God so in a symbolic way, the two Temples, that of Ramsis II and that of Nefertari,
brings Ramsis II and Nefertari and Hathor and the Sun God together as one.

27/12/2018

24/04/2018

King of Egypt 👑