Karnak Temple, Luxor

I think this is the best temple to visit in Luxor. We visited late afternoon with the sun just starting to set which gave the stones a warm, red glow. It’s worth paying for a guide, but don’t pay too much. The carvings are very clear and the size and scale of the temple is awe-inspiring.

Included in Nile Cruise.

The second Temple to visit after Luxor Temple, the size was amazing, there is a silent feeling to this place, awesome

The Temples at Karnak really are what visiting Egypt is all about, steeped in history and on a massive scale.

I have visited them several times and I still get a sense of awe when going there.

Read a little of their history and why every Pharaoh was required to build a temple there.

Originally connected to the Luxor Temple by an avenue bordered by sphinxes, this avenue is currently being excavated and reopened.

By far the most spectacular sight in all of Egypt in my opinion... its vastness and beauty is overwhelming, especially when you consider that it was entirely buried until less than 200 years ago. Absolutely fascinating and much underrated in the shadow of the pyramids. Just a shame the stupid muslims went and built a mosque right on top of it.

We visited this temple 12 years ago and never forget this. We spend our time for a night-tour and it was absolutly gorgeous.

The stories they told us, the lights, all the wonderful things there.

If you spend your time in Luxor, don't miss a visit at the night-show (in many different languages)!

Karnak temple is the biggest temple in Egypt and consists of 3 temples the biggest one being dedicated to Amun (the biggest God of the new kingdom)

There were two visits to this temple – one which was a day trip we organised ourselves with a group of friends we had made at the hotel and the other was an evening trip to the sound and light show. It was fairly easy to get a good English speaking guide who showed us around and explained each and every part of the temple, if you don’t go with big tour group you will find many independent guides who will offer their services so long as you can understand their English and set a price beforehand you should find no trouble with them..

From outside you would never imagine the temple to be as big as it actually is, it’s just amazing, words couldn’t do justice to this temple. Once you visit this ancient site you can appreciate and understand why Egypt has been given the tag of an open-air museum as this site was full of history. Despite the temple being in ruins this has to be most impressive temple I’ve seen to date.

It took us all morning to go around this temple, and a guide was important for this trip as there were corners of the temple that we would never have visited had we explored alone.

The highlight of the visit however is to visit for the Sound & Light show which is totally magical and a never to be forgotten experience- a once in a lifetime experience.

This really is one place that lives up to the hype. There is something about the scale and completeness about the Temple of Karnak that just fulfills every childhood fantasy that you had about Egypt.
I can’t quite remember the stat, but there is a sign as you enter that compares the size of this place very favourably with St Peters Cathedral in Rome - I think it said something like this was the largest religous structure ever built. (I just googled it and aparrantly it is spread over 247 acres)
It’s a maze of pillars and sandstone ampitheatres, in various degrees of decay and with really awe inspiring hyrogliphs.
It’s so big that you can get away from the crowds and the touts.
Probably my favourite place ever to play hide and seek.

The most impressive of all the monuments/sights I saw whilst in Egypt was the Temple of Karnak (Nr luxor). Mainly this was just the sheer amount there was to see - its an area that had been built up over a period of time rather than just one monument on its own. Apparently around 30 different pharoahs had input regards this site, making it one of the most intricate anddiverse builds around. Many of the areas are unfortunately not available for public viewing - inclusing the mostly destroyed Temple of Amenhotep (think ‘The mummy’) - but there are various buildings and structures ranging from 16th Century BC right up to Ptolemaic times. There is definitely enough to occupy a full days visit and the avenue of spinxes for me was a highlight - just so overwhelming!! I found that alot of the carvings and hieroglyphics were easier to get close to at this site, and it was very atmospheric. As with all the locations I visited in and around Luxor the site teemed with local children selling their trinkets and tugging at you constantly. This is something I personally found difficult to swallow constantly - but I guess its just a culture shock. The other slightly off putting element is the armed guards that follow your every move - but again having seen some of the graffiti and desecration that has occurred at this site and others over the centuries - I do understand the need.
In 323 AD Constantine the Great pushed Christianity as the recognised religion of the time and Karnak and its temples fell into disuse. Some of the buildings were reused over time as Christian churches and it creates an intriguing mix in parts with Coptic paintings and inscriptons sitting alongside carvings of the Ankh and other Egyptian symbols.

this monument will even impress teenager. It is awe inspiring.
go to the night show to give yourselves a totally different view of the site.