Karnak, the Center of Ancient Thebes

One of the most important historical and cultural areas of Egypt is Luxor, with its high concentration of ancient sites. Luxor sits in southern Egypt and you can get there without much hassle by taking a train from Cairo. Located on the site of the ancient capital of Thebes, you can see numerous mindblowing attractions in and around Luxor, for instance the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepshut's Temple, and lots of others. Luxor is most certainly a necessary part of any trip to Egypt. But one site in particular stands out from the bunch, and that is the Karnak Temple compound, located inside Luxor city.

This is the temple of Ipet-Isut (as it was once known by the ancient Egyptians), which was the central focus of the ancient capital city of Thebes. For around 1500 years Thebes was the capital city, starting in 1900 BCE upon construction of the Temple of Amun, one of the temples within the Karnak complex. The Karnak complex served a number of purposes: it was the center of worship of the Thebean trinity (Amun-re, Mut, and Khonsu); the residence of the pharaoh; and the center of the kingdom's administration.

Karnak's status as not only a temple compound but also as the city center and major hub is what makes it so overwhelmingly massive. Its sheer size is mind boggling. One of the halls, the Great Hypostyle Hall, is comprised of 134 massive pillars, with each one measuring from 15 meters (50 ft) to 21 meters (69 feet) tall. The pillars are so thick that six people are needed in order to reach all the way around its outside edge. If you can envision the statues of the pharaohs that were once situated in this hall amongst the pillars, then you can easily imagine the scale of Karnak's glory.

It is easy for travellers to reach Karnak, since it is just a short walk from the town center. The opening time is six o' clock in the morning, when the complex is beautifully lit up by the light of dawn. During the evening a different type of illumination can be seen, as Karnak Temple puts on a sound-and-light show, which has been known to hypnotise visitors with its stunning effects set upon such a mystical backdrop.