History of Karnak

So I realised I never actually finished telling you about my Egypt adventure – let alone Denmark and Ireland! I was going through old photos this morning and thought I would start blogging about a few of my stories.


 Starting with one of my favourite photos from the trip: Introducing Karnak Temple. Comprised of three main temples and numerous smaller prayer rooms, Karnak is it is the largest temple complex built by man. It is located about 15 minutes away from Luxor (previously known as the city of Thebes) on the east bank on the Nile. According to Wilkinson (2000), Karnak Temples ancient name was ‘Ipet-isut’ meaning ‘The Most Sacred of Places’.  

So imagine we are in the Eleventh Dynasty around 2000 BC (a period also known as Middle Kingdom) in the ancient city of Thebes.  The Old Kingdom has collapsed and Thebes is under the reign of Sesostris I. He began the initial construction of Karnak with small shrines dedicated to the Earth goddess Mut and Montu (the early deities of Thebes). Stories suggest the shrines were destroyed by invaders and the ancient city was deserted until the New Kingdom.

In the Eighteenth Dynasty, the city of Thebes was named as the capital city of Egypt. Construction commenced again resurrecting the great Karnak temple.  Many pharaohs such as Thutmose I, Seti I and Ramesses II contributed to the complex, dedicated to the god Amum-Re.

According to our tour guide at Karnak temple, Amum-Re kicked started Theocracy and led the Egyptians to follow one of the earliest forms of Monotheism.  In the new Kingdom Amun-Re was regarded so highly the other gods became a symbol of this power; so essentially he the Egyptian equivalent to Zeus! Amun-Re was identified as the one and only supreme deity.