TEMPLE OF AMUN (Karnak) The Temple of Amon, the fulcrum of the entire Complex of Karnak, has its current entry to the west where an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes symbolizing the god Amon held between its paws statues of Ramses II. Originally there was a pier, built by Ramses II, which gave access to a channel leading to the Nile. It was from this pier that leaving the Sacred Boat carrying the statue of Amon at the Beautiful Feast of the Valley to reach, on the western bank, Deir el-Bahari and Medinet Habu. At the end of the avenue of sphinxes leads to the First Pylon. Built, probably, by Taharqa or Nectanebo I it is unfinished. There bear witness the remains of a mud brick ramp still in place on the inside of the pylon in the Great Courtyard. After passing the First Pylon we enter the Great Courtyard. This was the last area of the temple where the faithful had access; farther to the first court could only be accessed by priests. In the center of the courtyard stood the Kiosk of Taharqa which today only a column bears testimony to the ancient presence. An avenue of sphinxes crossing the courtyard. Today we find them lined up on the north side of the courtyard. On the south side of the first courtyard we see the Temple of Ramses III. It is the oldest building within the courtyard and it is pre-existing to the same. In the first courtyard of the temple we see also osiriac statues of Ramses. On the east side of the First Courtyard overlooking the Second Pylon whose construction, started by Horemhab, was completed by Seti I. When the Second Pylon was restored were found inside several blocks of sandstone, called talatat, used as fill. These blocks were the dismantling of the Temple of Aton built by Akhenaten. Some of this blocks are visible to the Luxor Museum. After passing the entrance to the second pillar we are in a forest of columns; it is the Hypostyle Hall. 134 columns of which the central 12, to open papyrus capitals, have a height of 75 feet and a diameter of 50 feet and the remaining 122, a closed papyrus capitals, have a height of 50 feet. The difference in height between the nave and aisles were closed by windows in brick that lets in light. The construction of the Hypostyle Hall was started by Amenhotep III and completed, during the course of the next Dynasty, from Seti I and Ramses II. The third pylon, built by Amenhotep III, closes to the east the hypostyle hall and leads to a courtyard within which Tuthmosis I erected two obelisks. On site there is only one, 72 feet high, because the second was taken, during the Roman Period, in Istanbul. From this courtyard parts the north-south axis of the temple leading to the Temple of Mut. Continuing along the east-west axis of the temple we enter into a closed courtyard, in the west side, by the fourth pylon and, in the east side, by the fifth. Both of these pylons were built by Tuthmosis I. In this courtyard Hatshepsut erected her two red granite obelisks and only one, 95 feet high, is still in place. The transportation and erection of the obelisks are beautifully illustrated on the left portico of the first terrace of the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. After passing the sixth pylon, built by Thutmose III, which are not that miserable remains, you can enter in the shrine, the place where the sacred boat was housed. The original shrine was built by Hatshepsut, it is the Red Chapel seen today rebuilt in the open air museum. The shrine was later dismantled and rebuilt by Thutmose III but this had no better luck as Philip III Arrhidaeus destroyed it and built what we see today. On either side of the shrine are the chapels of Hatshepsut whose image has been erased, perhaps by Thutmose III, in an operation of damnatio memoriae. After passing the Shrine we enter the complexs oldest area. To close this area, to the east, we see, built by Thutmose III, the Akhmenu said the Festival Hall. On the north side of the first courtyard a opening provides access to a wide area called the Open-air Museum where some monuments have been rebuilt emerged from the restoration work carried out in the templar complex. Among the most valuable works we can admire the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut, the White Chapel of Sesostris I, the Chapel of Amenhotep I and the Chapel of Thutmose IV. To the south of the Temple of Amon are the Sacred Lake where the priests of the temple held, inter alia, the washing purification. For further informations visit my website: my-egypt.it/upper-egypt/luxor/east-bank-temples-1/
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:50:02 +0000
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