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People walking through the front pylon of the Karnak temple at Luxor

2012-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

The sheer size of the Karnak temple at Luxor is incredible, which is not hard to understand, given that multiple pharaohs were involved in the quest to build the temple over a period of time. After the 34 centuries or so, there is a large amount of wear and tear, but repair and reconstruction over the past several decades has made the temple as one of the most visited monuments in Egypt, given its prime location in the city of Luxor.
In this photo, you can see tourists walking through the front entrance of the temple, and there are a large number of tourists as you can see.

Wide view of the front side of the Karnak Temple at Luxor

2012-01-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

A view that gives a view of the section of the Karnak Temple compound that lies between the front and the parking space in front. It is a fairly big place, you can see large open spaces and some amount of trees in the area. And of course, you can see tourists coming to the temple, crossing a small bridge. There is a huge amount of open space in front of the temple, and in the distance, you can also see some hills (and you would not normally think of the desert area of Egypt as having any hills).

Palm Trees in a row in front of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2012-01-10T03:54:00.000-08:00

The space in front of the Karnak temple is pretty large, with people having to walk a few minutes from the parking area to the actual start of the temple. In this photo, you get a brief view of the large space, in terms of the space between the palm trees in a row in front of the temple. In front of one tree, you can see a bored policeman on a chair, and since there have been no terrorist incidents for many years, things are much safer for tourists and the reputation of Egypt as a tourist friendly place had increased.

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View of hills in the distance along with the path in front of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2012-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

The area in front of the Karnak temple is pretty large. Tourists can come to the parking and from there need to walk to the actual temple, and it is not a short distance (this is the space that you can see in the current photo). In the distance, you can see some hills (and remember, there are hills near Luxor, what with the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens being actual limestone cliffs).

Broken section between pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2012-01-02T03:56:00.000-08:00

The lighting in this photo is not very good, but you should be able to clearly make out the piece of broken rubble lying between the pillars, with the carving on the broken section being very clear as well. For monuments that are as old as the Karnak temple at Luxor, there will be wear and tear and damage.

Large pillars along with the architrave on top inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2012-01-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor, Egypt is an incredible place. There is this huge place, once fully covered, actually a hall covering an area of 50,000 square feet. Inside the Hypostyle Hall, there are huge pillars (with a total of 134 pillars) that held up the entire structure, with each pillar being wonderfully carved. The temple itself was built up over a period of time, with multiple pharaohs contributing to the construction.

Broken and sem-broken pillars inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-12-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

The Karnak temple is around 35 centuries old, part of the Middle Kingdom in ancient egypt, and was built by a number of pharaohs (each pharaoh added his own touch (or in the case of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh, she added the Obelisks inside the temple)). However, because of the age of the temple and neglect over the years, a lot of the temple is in some sort of worn down condition.

Small trees and some amount of rubble inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-12-08T23:45:00.000-08:00

You can just see a tourist entering the frame of the photo. This is a photo of the Karnak temple in Luxor, near the entrance. There is some restoration work ongoing in the temple, given that the temple has suffered hugely over the years from the wear and tear of the elements, along with neglect. It is only for the past several decades that there has been a lot more emphasis given on the restoration of the temple; important because of the huge heritage value and the number of tourists it draws.

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Pillars in a row inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak Temple

2011-12-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall is one of the most magnificent parts of the Karnak temple (which in itself is a most wonderful monument, testimony to the construction efforts of pharaohs over the years). The Hypostyle Hall was built to cover an area of approximately 50,000 square feet, and even though the roof has almost totally fallen down, the place is indeed remarkable.
There are a total of 134 pillars, assigned in rows. In this photo, you can see many of the pillars, some of them having suffered wear and tear and damage from the elements over the years.

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Tourists at the entrance to the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

A large number of tourists at the entrance to the Karnak temple. The Karnak temple is a pretty large temple, with a lot of walking required by tourists; in fact, even when walking from the parking to the entrance, it can be quite a distance. You need to be sure that you are in a good condition to spend the energy required to wander through the temples (and this is even more so if you have visited the other tourist destinations in Luxor).

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Pillars, close to each other, inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-12-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

There are a large number of pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple, and when I saw them so close to each other, I was wondering as to how this hall could be used for any kind of event; but the photo is a bit misleading. In the center path between the pillars, there is a fair amount of space between the pillars, enough for people of the royal court to assemble (it was not expected to be a place for the common citizen of ancient Egypt).

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Path between rows of pillars in the Hypostyle Hall, leading to a set of trees

2011-12-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor is one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient city of Luxor, which is based on the ancient city of Thebes, the center of the New Kingdom for many centuries, and the religious center of the country.
The Karnak temple was constructed over a period of time in the rule of many pharaohs, and one of the most spectacular constructions inside the temple is the Hypostyle Hall, a place that has a total of 134 huge pillars, covered with carvings, that glorify the various pharaohs of the time.

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2 rows of carved pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-12-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple (in Luxor) has a large number of pillars with carvings. There are a total of 134 such pillars, which were part of the huge hall that covered a total area of 50,000 square feet. You have to go there to actually get a feel of the size of the hall. Here, you can see pillars aligned in 2 rows.

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Tourists at the base of pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-12-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

In many previous photos, I can talked about the huge size of the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall (a total of 134 pillars). It is always good to show people against such structures, since that gives clarity about the size of the pillars, as can be seen in this photo where you can see tourists at the base of the pillars and hence get an idea of the size.
The pillars are really huge.

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Palm trees visible through the doorway inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-12-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

The whole complex of the Karnak temple is a huge complex, made of stone, made by various pharaohs over a period of many years, around 35 centuries back. Inside the temple, there is a huge hall called the Hypostyle Hall, where there are a set of 134 pillars (huge pillars), with the hall covering a total area of 50,000 square feet. Most of the roof has fallen, but the pillars are now in a good condition after decades of restoration and maintenance.
In this photo, you are able to see some palm trees (and not too many trees can be seen inside the complex).

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Broken carvings on the pillar of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor is very old, having been constructed by several pharaohs over a period of time (when Luxor, in its earlier form being the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes was the center of Egypt during the time of the New Kingdom). The Karnak temple is believed to be around 35 centuries old. Inside the Karnak temple, the Hypostyle Hall is one of the greatest creations from that time, covering a vast area of 50,000 square feet.
In this photo, you can see how the carvings on the pillar have become damaged over the vast period of time.

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Detailed view of paintings on the undeside of architrave in the Hypostyle Hall

2011-11-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

In the previous photo, I had shown a view of the underside of the architrave on 2 of the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall. However, the painting on the underside was not so clear since it was taken without much zoom; in this photo, I took the camera lens to maximum zoom and focused on the painting on the underside of the structure.
The painting in this photo was inverted, but you can get a view of the painting very clearly, the painting is pretty clear. The depiction of the Hieroglyphs is very clear (although I cannot understand anything, not knowing how to read this ancient symbol based language). It felt so different, standing there and watching this ancient work put by the Egyptians from a different era.

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Painting under the architrave in the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-28T04:10:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor is a magnificent place. Imagine a giant hall, covering an area of 50,000 square feet with large pillars (and a total of 134 such pillars, each pillar covered with a lot of carvings). Now imagine that this was built around 35 centuries back, and you will be left with a sense of wonder.
The architraves covering the pillars have mostly fallen down, except for a few cases such as this one, where the architrave remains in place (or was put back during the restoration process). You can even see the paintings on the underside of the structure (and these were visible very clearly).

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Exhibit of the restoration of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-26T02:52:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall is one of the most magnificent parts of the Karnak temple, an incredible temple in the city of Luxor built around 35 centuries back. There was a whole process of restoration that sought to bring back the old glory of those structures, even though this is a very difficult task. This is a sign of the exhibit that explains what the Hypostyle Hall is, and what efforts were undertaken to do a restoration of the structure.
As per the exhibit, the Hypostyle Hall measures 103 meters by 53 meters. As recently as 1899, a dozen columns in the Hypostyle Hall toppled over and a massive reconstruction work was started.

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Close up of paintings on the lower portion of the architrave inside the Hypostyle Hall

2011-11-25T02:26:00.000-08:00

There are not too many architraves on top of the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall, with most of the pillars being uncovered. I tried to get more details of the underside of one such architrave, and you can see signs of the painting that was there below the architrave; in addition to the carvings on the side of a pillar.

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A number of pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-24T01:37:00.000-08:00

A large number of pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple. In previous photos, you can see many images of the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall, but not too many pillars. In this photo, you see a large number of pillars (although most of the photos are not very big) in the frame, with a view of the carvings on the pillars of the Hall. The architrave on top of the pillars look a bit awkward though.

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Pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall with the architrave on top of the pillars

2011-11-23T01:32:00.000-08:00

A view of the top section of an individual pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple. There are a total of 134 pillars inside the temple, with the middle 2 rows having pillars of slightly increased height as opposed to the pillars in other rows.
You can see a number of carvings on the pillar, along with architrave on either side of the pillar, but there are very few pillars that actually have architraves, with most of them having fallen down.

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Many pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple covered by architrave at the top

2011-11-22T01:26:00.000-08:00

When you see most of the structures belonging to ancient Egypt, a large number of these structures are in some state of ruin, with the typical example being that the roof has fallen down in many of these. Even when you go to the Karnak temple, you can see the temple in various states of ruin; even in this photo of the Hypostyle Hall, you can see the roof has fallen down - there are just some architrave on top of the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall.

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Small gap between the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple

2011-11-21T01:20:00.000-08:00

In some places inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple, there are large spaces, enough for people to easily gather. However, near the edge of the hall, the space between the pillars is much reduced, as in this photo, where it would seem difficult for people to congregate in the space between the pillars at the floor level.

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Detailed carvings on a pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-20T03:50:00.000-08:00

I was very impressed by the Karnak temple in Luxor. When you visit Egypt, you think of the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, or you think of King Tutankhamen, but few people think of the Karnak temple. The temple is a huge structure, having been built by many pharaohs over a period of time, and containing the Hypostyle Hall, a huge structure covering an area of 50,000 square feet with 134 pillars.
I was looking at the carvings on a pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall, with the background coming in dark because of using the flash. Use of the flash took a meter reading from the carving and anything that was slightly darker became black.

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Carving on the pylon of the Karnak temple with some tents at the bottom

2011-11-20T01:19:00.000-08:00

A large carving on the pylon of the Karnak temple in Luxor. These are huge gates with large surfaces, and a large scale carving on the surface of the pylon, typically showing the pharaoh in some sort of action.
At the bottom of the carving, there are these tents (with a color similar to the surface of the wall), part of the restoration work ongoing at the temple.

Architrave on top of the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall of the Karnak temple

2011-11-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

A lot of the structure of the Karnak temple in Luxor is in ruins, or atleast has suffered for the over 35 centuries of wear and tear. The Hypostyle Hall, which covers an area of approximately 50,000 square feet is a magnificent structure, but the roof has mostly fallen down. In some sections, the architraves on top of the pillars still remain, and looks pretty well. You can even see some carvings and paintings on the bottom of the architrave, which is pretty remarkable.

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Shadows on pillar carvings inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-18T06:13:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in the Egyptian city of Luxor is one of the most interesting parts of the temple. The temple itself is an incredible structure, a huge temple constructed 35 centuries back, with multiple pharaohs adding their touches to the temple over a period of centuries.
Inside the Karnak temple, the Hypostyle Hall is a huge structure, with 134 large pillars arranged in multiple rows, and each of these pillars is huge. The Hypostyle Hall covered a large area, with a total coverage of approximately 50,000 square meters.

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Gap between pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor is an incredible piece of architecture, constructed approximately 35 centuries temple. The temple was constructed over a period of time by multiple pharaohs, with even hall having the imprint of many pharaohs.
The Hall had 134 pillars, with the 2 central row of pillars being taller than the rest of the pillars. When you look at the pillars, you can see how huge they actually are, and if there was a human in the photo, you would get a true measure of the size of the pillars.

Damaged carvings on the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

The Karnak temple is 35 centuries old, which is a huge timeline to cover, especially when the temple is exposed to the elements over the years, and to looters and others (especially people who had no concern for the conservation of the historical monuments); and when you see some of the better sections, you can forget the huge amount of time that has passed. But there has been a lot of damage over the years, as you can see in the erosion of the carvings on the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall as seen in this photo.
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People standing at the base of the huge pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-11-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

The pillars of the Hypostyle Hall inside the magnificent Karnak temple in Luxor are huge and very well decorated. The Hypostyle Hall is huge, with a total of 134 large pillars covering a total (when constructed) area of 50,000 square feet.
The sheer size of the Hypostyle Hall can be seen, when you see the tourists at the base of the pillars; a lot of people find it hard to believe that this large structure was built over 35 centuries back and still stands tall.
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Pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak temple covered by architraves

2011-11-13T03:26:00.000-08:00

When the Hypostyle Hall was re-discovered, it was in a mess. Now, if you visit it, it looks fairly nice. A majority of the pillars are all in position, the carvings and paintings on many of them look as if they were done only a few decades back, and in many of the cases, even the architraves on top of the pillars is in place (although the overall roof of the Hypostyle Hall has fallen down and most of the pillars are exposed to the elements).
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Carvings on the walls of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-12T02:56:00.000-08:00

A set of carvings on the walls of the Karnak temple. As per the hieroglyphic language used by the ancient Egyptians, this would mean something that experts would be able to decipher (I was not able to decipher them obviously since I am not an expert); but it was interesting to see the carvings that were made on the stone of the temple, done so many centuries ago, retaining their form even after so many years.
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Exhibit showing restoration of the Cachette Courtyard inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-11T02:38:00.000-08:00

The Cachette Courtyard is the first court, with the courts being defined as the place between the pylons; the Cachette courtyard which was one of the first to be re-discovered. In addition, the Cachette courtyard was the location which was the start of the route taken by ceremonial processions to the Luxor temple. In addition, on the walls of the Cachette courtyard, the pharaoh Merenptah celebrated his victories over the Sea People.
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Gap between the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-10T02:31:00.000-08:00

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor is one of the most fascinating structures in the temple. This is a hall that was covering an area of approximately 50,000 square feet, and had a total of 134 pillars inside, with these pillars being well carved, and with paintings on the roof the hall. Now, very few portions of the roof remain, and most of these are now up after a lot of restoration that happened.
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Obelisk and tourists around it, seen from an archway inside the Karnak temple

2011-11-09T03:42:00.000-08:00

The Obelisk is one of the most spectacular constructions inside the Karnak temple in Luxor (along with the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall); specially because the Obelisk seems in such a great condition when you compare this with the rest of the structures around it. The Obelisk remains popular to tourists, as you can see in this photo of a number of tourists surrounding the Obelisk (which is one of the 2 obelisks inside the Karnak temple).
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Photos of couple of obelisks inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-07T03:07:00.000-08:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor must be one of the rare such monuments which has 2 obelisks in the same complex (the ancient pharaohs used to place Obelisks at the entrance to temples, and the female pharaoh Hatshepsut created the obelisks, to be created in the city of Aswan).
In this photo, you can see the tops of both the Obelisks, rising above the structure of the Karnak temple.
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A couple of large statues against a wall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-06T04:36:00.000-08:00

Temples inside ancient Egypt were built by pharaohs towards the gods, and also as a projection of their own divinity, with the temples showing statues of the pharaoh being close to the gods; the temples also showed statues of the pharaoh with arms crossed (which was a practice for mummies of pharaohs during the New Kingdom around 1500 BC).
You can also see the state of the temple at that time, with many walls standing, but an overall state of wear and tear.
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Side walls of the Karnak temple in Luxor, cordoned off for tourists

2011-11-05T04:29:00.000-07:00

Large sections of the Karnak temple in Luxor are not open to tourists, with the precinct of Amon-Ra being the only open section. Even in the section open to tourists, restoration work is ongoing, with many structures and parts cordoned off (with rope, being just temporary cordoning off, since I could see a couple of people crossing the roped off section).
Here, the walls also show carvings, a lot of which is still retained even 35 centuries after the temple was built.
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An isolated section of the Karnak temple in Luxor, along with some palm trees

2011-11-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor is a temple built of sandstone, with almost the entire structure made of stone, leaving very little greenery in the whole structure. However, we did see some trees inside the structure, such as the palm trees seen in this photo.
Most tourists do a quick round of the temple, see the Hypostyle Hall, and then come back; very few people bother to see the entire section visible to tourists (and there are large sections of the temple that are not open to tourists as well).
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View of 2 obelisks inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty rare sight. There are almost no other places in the world where you can see 2 such magnificent obelisks in the same location, and here they are in the Karnak temple complex in Luxor. As far as I can remember from my history, both these Obelisks were placed at the entry to the temple by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, who is also famous for being the most powerful woman ruler for a long time (certainly at her time, there was no other woman ruler in such a position).
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Cordoned off structure inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-02T03:35:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple was built in many sections by a number of pharaohs, and is one of the largest temple complexes inside Egypt. When inside the temple, I felt the need for a guide the maximum, since there were many structures inside that did not make sense to me, and a guide could have explained some of these.
One of these is this cordoned off structure inside the Karnak temple. It could well be the base of something much larger, such as a huge statue, but I did not anything similar to this inside the temple.
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Broken section of an obelisk inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-11-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

An Obelisk is one of the most famous symbols of ancient Egypt, with it being placed at the entrance to temples by the pharaoh of the day. And pharaohs considered it part of their honor to construct a temple (which also places them in the same position as the god), so there were a number of obelisks in ancient Egypt. Many of these were taken away / gifted away and find pride of place in many other cities of the world.
This is a photo of a well carved section of an obelisk lying on the ground inside the Karnak temple, most likely as part of a restoration effort.
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Crane in the middle of the structure of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-31T03:07:00.000-07:00

In many of the previous photos, I have shown parts of the great Karnak temple in Luxor, as well as the crane that is there in the structure. In this photo, you can see how the actual size of the structure is pretty huge, and no photo (except for overhead photos) can really convey the true impression of the size of this temple. It seems remarkable that 35 centuries back, people could have constructed this huge temple, with so many artifacts inside it.
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Crowded lane inside the Khan el Khalili market in Cairo

2011-10-30T03:04:00.000-07:00

The Khan el Khalili market is one of the most famous tourist attractions, being located in the Islamic quarter of Cairo, very close to the Al Azhar university. Once you are inside the market, you see a long lane of shops where you can buy a number of curios such as figurines, hukka devices, paintings, etc.
Inside the lane, you can see a lot of old construction, such as in this photo where you see buildings at the far end, in pretty bad condition.
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Open air cafes in front of the Khan El Khalili market in Cairo

2011-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

The Khan El Khalili market is a very famous tourist attraction in the Islamic quarter of Cairo, very close to the Al Azhar Islamic university (the most prestigious university in the whole of the Islamic world).
This photo is of the cafes that line the front section of the market, and to the edge of the cafes, there are entry to lanes that lead inside the market. From this area, you cannot get an idea of the congestion inside the actual market.
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Khan el Khalili market in cairo - The front section of the market, on the outside

2011-10-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

To get to the Khan el Khalili market in the Islamic Section of Cairo, you would normally take a bus or a taxi (or as part of a guided tour). You approach a square (with a small central garden), right next to the Al Azhar University, and get down there (and the entry point to the market is right next to the structures seen in this photo).
Your vehicle is not allowed to remain parked there, probably for security reasons, and you then make you way into the market, hopefully for some successful bargaining. Our travel in the market was remarkably safe, and we did not encounter any problem inside the market.
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Khan el Khalili market in Cairo - a wider part of the market

2011-10-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Khan El Khalili market is located near the Al Azhar university, one of the most important centers of learning in the Islamic world. The market fits one of the symbols of the Islamic world, the bazaar where a lot of stuff is available, a lot of people are there, and you can do a lot of bargaining.
The market can be very narrow, but in this case, there is a slightly wider section of the market. This is near the entry to the market, and hence is wider; can get much narrower as you go inside.
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Khan el Khalili market in Cairo - right near the entry point to the market

2011-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Khan el Khalili market is located in Cairo, in the Islamic district. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city, and being a bazaar draws a huge number of people. The bazaar is very old, having been dated back to the year 1382, being the creation of the Emir Djaharks el-Khalili.
Why do people come to Khan el Khalili ? Right now, most people come there because it is a big tourist attraction, and for the chance to do some shopping, buy local curios, and do a lot of bargaining.
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Lot of structures inside the Karnak Temple in Luxor

2011-10-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

A photo of a lot of structures inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. The Karnak temple is one of the most visited temples in Egypt. A lot of the structures inside the temple are in a decent condition, but some of them are in a pretty bad condition, as can be seen in this photo.
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Cordoned off section inside the Karnak temple in Luxor, with a lot of broken down stones

2011-10-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Inside the Karnak temple, there are a number of structures (primarily the Hypostyle Hall, and others) which are in a fairly good condition, or have been restored. But there are many other sections that are in a bad condition, such as this cordoned off section where there is a lot of material lying on the ground, and the construction is fairly destroyed.
One hopes that the section has been cordoned off in order to do restoration work, since the temple is an incredibly important historic evidence of ancient Egyptian history and culture.
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Trees and a crane at the end of a path inside the Karnak temple

2011-10-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

In previous photos, a number of them inside the Great Karnak temple in Luxor, some of the photos have been regarding the bad condition of many of the structures inside the temple, as well as some of the restoration work that is happening there. A crane showed up in some of these photos.
In this photo, you can see the crane is actually inside the precints of the temple complex, probably used for moving some of the heavier blocks of stone that make up the temple walls.
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Angular view of the top part of an Obelisk at the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Obelisk is a truly fascinating structure. It looks pretty impressive, having been fashioned from a large piece of stone in quarries (through an elaborate system where water is frozen,expands and breaks the rock; and then the Obelisk is sent on river barges to the site of the temple).
Inside the Karnak temple, this is just the top part of the Obelisk, put on some supports and kept in such a way that the magnificence of the structure is clearly visible to all tourists.
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Collapsed structures against the backdrop of a crane at the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

When you have an ancient structure such as the Karnak temple in Luxor (built approximately 35 centuries back), there is the chance of tremendous wear and tear, and damage to the structure over the centuries (consider that at another site, the Colossi of Memnon, the entire temple has vanished over the centuries).
In this photo, you see how much of the structure has actually been damaged, with the stone blocks that make the walls of the temple lying around, and broken.
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The leaves and branches of a palm tree inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

There are very few trees to be found inside the complex of the Karnak temple. It is only to the rear of the temple complex, near the water pond that you will find signs of greenery. When I reached this area, the heat was pretty bad, and it was a pleasant sight to see a tree even though the palm tree really did not have any kind of shade to offer from the hot sun.
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The thin needle of the Obelisk emerging from the surrounding structures

2011-10-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Obelisk is one of the most distinctive structures of the various monuments of ancient Egypt, and such is the beauty of the thin structure that a number of other countries boast the same Obelisk (taken from different sites in Egypt) in their cities.
Here, you see an example of how the Obelisk makes a mark, with the needle emerging strong from the surrounding structures and dominating the whole surroundings.
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Tourist and trees inside the rear portion of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

A view of tourists and trees inside the rear portion of the Karnak temple in Luxor. In previous photos, you would have typically seen a lot of the structure of the temple, and very little of greenery. In this photo, you get to some of the sparse greenery around the structures. Because of the low level of greenery, it can get very hot during the summer months.
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Pond of water inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

Typically, most temples have a pond of water or some other source of water. In the case of the Great Karnak temple in Luxor, the pond of water is located near the rear of the temple, and must be pretty deep when full. Right now, the level of water shown in the pond is pretty low from the high point (you can see that in the walls of the pond).
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Portion of an Obelisk laid down for some restoration

2011-10-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

Obelisks are one of the most important symbols of ancient Egypt. The pharaoh would typically erect an Obelisk at the entrance to a temple, and you can find one at the entrance to the Karnak temple as well (although to a tourist, it no longer seems to be at the actual entrance to the temple).
In this photo, you can see the top portion of the Obelisk (with carvings being very clear visible) laid down on some supports inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. There must have been some restoration work happening over there.
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Statue of a pharaoh, but without the head, inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

If you go to any of the ancient monuments in Egypt, you will find that there are numerous traces of the pharaoh who built them. This is typically true of the temples, where there will be statues of the pharaoh making up part of the structure of the temple, as a part of the walls of the temple or free standing statues.
Inside the Karnak temple, you can find more than one, since there were numerous pharaohs who played a role. In this case, you can see a statue which no longer has a head, but the rest of the statue remains in fairly good condition.
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Cut section of a pillar inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

The remains at the Karnak temple are pretty extensive. There has been a lot of restoration at the site, and some of the structures remain in pretty good condition, while the conditions of many of the other structures is far worse. This is a photo of a pillar at the temple, where the top parts of the pillar are no longer existing, and it seems that the pillar has been sliced into 1/3rd of the original section. This could be because the original pillar was made of several stone sections put on top of one another, and the sections on top got removed.
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The sheer view of the structure of the Obelisk inside the Karnak temple

2011-10-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Obelisk inside the Karnak temple is real spectacular, given that it seems to rise among the ruins all around it. I have no idea whether the Obelisk was there from the beginning, or was restored and then placed later, but it looks great in this view, rising from the middle of the structures. The Obelisk is a symbol of ancient Egypt, being placed at the entrances of temple by the pharaohs of the day.
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Ruins and remains at the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

This photo was the first photo I took that actually showed the extent to which the structure inside the Karnak temple in Luxor has suffered over the centuries. The walls, pillars, and other structures all seem to have suffered different levels of damage, some of which seems more than that caused by weather (for example, the pillars seem to have suffered different levels of damage, with some sharp cuts, and other cuts where the cut is not smooth.
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The obelisk rising above some of the other structures inside the Karnak temple

2011-10-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

The obelisk is one of the most famous symbols of ancient Egypt, with the sharp and slim needle like structure having been taken to many cities of the world and erected in central locations. In this photo, you can see the top part of the Obelisk rising above the surrounding structures, which also is a contrast. The structures have all been weathered down, but the Obelisk still seems in pretty good condition, still seeming sharp and with the carvings on the Obelisk looking pretty good.
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Path inside the Karnak temple, with fallen structures to the side

2011-10-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

This photo actually shows the extent to which a lot of the structures inside the Karnak temple have suffered damage during the many centuries over which this temple has existed. The weather has been most cruel to the temples, with wear and tear, along with other phenomenon such as earthquakes also causing a lot of damage. It is only in the past few decades that there has been a focus on restoration, which has actually improved some aspects of the temple.
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Crane near the Karnak temple structure in Luxor

2011-10-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Many of the ancient sites boasted by Egypt that are extremely popular with tourists are actually very close to civilization. In fact, except for the temple at Abu Simbel, other sites such as the ones in Luxor, or the Pyramids / Sphinx in Giza are all very close to large habitation centers. The photo shows an example of the same, with a crane showcasing some construction work near the Karnak temple in Luxor.
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Statue of a pharaoh and other damaged items inside the Karnak temple

2011-10-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple is very old, atleast 35 centuries old. Given that it would have been exposed to so many disturbances over the past (both natural and man made), it can be hard to find anything remaining from that time.
Surprisingly, some of the parts of the temple still remain in good condition, but in this case, the place seems more in ruins, with damage visible everywhere.
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Structures inside the Karnak temple in Luxor, looks in good shape

2011-10-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Some of the previous photos shown in this blog of the Karnak temple shows the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall, and many other magnificent structures near the entrance of the temple. This photo shows a different structure, a hall (most likely a set of rooms in the temple). Given that the temple is 35 centuries old, the place still seems in decent shape.
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Following some people walking through the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor is fairly busy with tourists through the year (although there is a reduction in tourists as you head towards the summer season because of the heat levels). In this photo, taken in February, you can see a number of tourists in the frame, walking in between the path with structures of the Karnak temples on both sides. It was impossible to take a photo of the structure without tourists being in the photo, just because of the number of tourists who were there in the temple complex.
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Sunlight twinkling through a section of the architecture of the Karnak temple

2011-10-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

I always like taking photos of the light coming in the form of a twinkle. In this case, I was trying to get an image of the light twinkling through a section of the Egyptian structure of the Karnak temple. Parts of the structure are in a state of damage due to the long periods of time it has been exposed to destructive forces. However, the temple still displays a great sense of grandeur.
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Tourists inside an enclosed section of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-10-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

Typically, most of the photos that I have posted of the Karnak temple show the sorry state of the temple (given that it is around 35 centuries old), with the structure showing the wear and tear of the history; most of the roof of the temple is now gone. However, there are still sections of the temple where the roof remains, such as in this photo where you can see a number of tourists inside an enclosed section of the temple.
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Open doorway inside the Karnak temple leading to more structures beyond

2011-09-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Like some other previous photos, this photo also shows a section inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. The temple was a magnificent structure, constructed around 35 centuries past, with many pharaohs contributing towards the building of the temple (pharaohs would add their own touches to the existing temple). Now, you can see the remains of the temple, with a lot of the vertical structure still remaining, but most of the temple has lost a roof. Items such as this open doorway remain, and can be seen inside the temple in a number of areas.
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Tourists inside the Karnak temple, with the Obelisk to one side

2011-09-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

A number of tourists visit the Karnak temple at any point of time; since the Karnak temple is on the tourist circuit of Luxor and Luxor is an important point in anybody going to Egypt. This is true both for internal tourists (Egyptian citizens) and foreign tourists. In this photo, you can see several Egyptian tourists as well as the imposing and sharp profile of the Obelisk at one side of the structures.
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Symbols on the side of one of the Obelisks inside the Karnak temple

2011-09-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

The Obelisk is one of the most important symbols from the history of ancient symbol. They were built to denote a closeness to god, and were typically erected at the entrance to temples. Over a period of time, invading powers took away many of these Obelisk and put them inside their cities. So you can find many of these Obelisk in cities such as Rome, Paris, London, etc. In this particular photo, you can see Hieroglyphs on the side of a Obelisk inside the Karnak temple.
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Photo of a statue which is part of a wall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-27T04:29:00.000-07:00

A lot of the statues that are placed in temples that were made in ancient Egypt were representations of the pharaohs (created mostly by the pharaoh who was creating / modifying the temple). In this photo, you are able to see a scene inside the Karnak temple located in Luxor. Part of the statue seems damaged, and the statue also seems attached to the stone wall behind it.
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The angular profile of the Obelisk inside the Karnak temple

2011-09-26T04:10:00.000-07:00

The Obelisk is one of the most famous symbols of ancient Egypt (along with other symbols such as the Pyramids, etc). Obelisks were typically erected by pharaohs at the entrance to the temples, but over a period of time, many of the obelisks were taken away and are now present in cities over the world (and are part of the tourist attraction of these cities). This photo shows the angular profile of an Obelisk and shows how smooth the Obelisk would have been when it was created (since it seems very smooth in sections right now).
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Open doorway inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

A photo of a doorway inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. Most of the roofs of the temple are no longer present, so the whole structure looks a bit strange. The structure of a door is always strong in terms of architecture, so it was not surprising that the structure of the door would remain even when other areas get damaged over a period of time. I was also observing that most tourists were getting bored in such areas since there was nothing interesting to see.
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Some of the more damaged structures inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

In many of the previous photos, you would have seen some great examples of items inside the Karnak temple that are wonderfully preserved even though there have been 35 centuries since the temple was made. Many of the structures that are seen as preserved have been actually restored. However, this photo shows a section of the temple where the structure has seen the wear and tear of the centuries gone past, and where the wall has broken. You can still see some of the carvings on the walls, but the overall impression is that of strong wear and tear.
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Long path inside the Karnak temple at Luxor, different from the Hypostyle Hall

2011-09-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

One of the most famous highlights of the Karnak temple in Luxor is the Hypostyle Hall, which has 134 large pillars forming a hall covering an area of 50,000 square feet. It looks incredible; but there are other sections inside the temple that are worth visiting. This is one of the paths inside the temple, distinct from the Hypostyle Hall. You can just see 2 tourists in the distance, who have just finished transiting the path.
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Block with large amount of carvings inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about ancient Egyptian architecture is the fact that a large number of the monuments from that era (which can be as much as 45 centuries back) retain some amount of the work done. So, there are temples which retain some of the structure, pillars that have a lot of the carvings still there, paintings that retain the form and still appear clear.
In this case, you can see a section of stone with the carvings (deep carvings in the stone) that seem very clear and anybody who can read the language is able to understand the writing clearly.
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View of ruined section of pillars inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Many of the sections of the Karnak temple are in some state of decay, which is not surprising given that the temple is around 35 centuries old, and hence would have some elements of wear and tear due to weather and other conditions over the years. The pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall are one of the most famous parts of the Karnak temple, and in this photo, you are able to see some of the pillars, with some damage over the years being visible.
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Large section of stone with carvings inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

There is always some amount of repair and restoration work happening at ancient sites; typically such sites require a lot of restoration to overcome the damages over the centuries. Such restoration work can carry on for many many years. In this case, you see a section of maybe a pillar with carvings that has been set aside for further use.
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Tourists walking through the intial section of the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

As you enter the Karnak temple, there are some initial pathways, almost like sections between large pieces of stone. In this photo, you can see tourists walking through the sections of stone while entering the Konark temple. They are entering, armed with cameras and curious about what all they would find. When I entered the temple, I was not sure about what all I would find (not having done any initial study of what all I would find).
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People walking towards and through the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple looks interesting from this distance, where you can see a huge amount of the front part of the structure. Some of the structure is broken, some is fine, and overall, the whole place looks beautiful in a certain kind of way, especially when you consider that this temple was built in another age, over 35 centuries back.
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Trees at one side of the walls (made of stone bricks) at the Karnak temple

2011-09-15T04:06:00.000-07:00

The trees you will find most often in the desert area of Egypt are palm or date trees. In this photo, you can see a couple of trees on one side of the walls of the Karnak temple. Further, you can see the block of stone, that make up the stone walls of the temple. They no longer seem to be in perfect alignment with each other, with some of them jutting out and others being inside.
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Pillars, and other structures, inside the Karnak temple

2011-09-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

A view inside the Karnak temple, where you can see the remains of the structures built over 35 centuries back. There are remains of some pillars, there are walls made of stone blocks, some trees, and gates, etc. There is a scaffolding also there, erected for the restoration of some parts of the temple structure. The Karnak temple is a great example of the architecture of the temples of ancient Egypt.
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Row of Sphinx statues at the entrance to the Karnak temple

2011-09-13T03:35:00.000-07:00

The Sphinx is an integral part of ancient civilizations, especially an important of the ancient Egyptian culture. This photo shows a row of Sphinx statues at the entrance to the Karnak temple (and there is another such row on the other side as well). These are larger than life statues, and were in a fairly good condition, which was surprising, considering that they have been in place for around 35 centuries.
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Side section inside the Karnak temple in Luxor with some small pillars

2011-09-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

A smaller section inside the Karnak temple in Luxor; this is more of a run down section of the temple, with the stone seemingly having crumbled to some extent. Now of course, the whole temple would have been stabilized to ensure that there is no further decay or crumbling down of the stone. This looks like any other place, with nothing to highlight it in particular or to make it important for tourists.
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Local and foreign tourists inside the magnificent Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

Luxor and the Karnak temple is a very important destination on the tourist circuit, and one would assume that there would be a large number of foreign tourists over there (especially in the month of February when this photo was taken - it would not be too hot then); however, it seems to be very popular with the Egyptian public also, since you can see what looks like a number of young Egyptians in the region.
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Section of carved stone sitting on wooden support, part of restoration effort

2011-09-10T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor is pretty old, although not so by ancient Egyptian standards (the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx is much older, with a lot of mysteries about these ancient structures). The Karnak temple is around 35 centuries old, and has seen some wear and tear over the long periods since it was built. Here, you can see part of the restoration, with a section of carved stone resting on wooden support sections.
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Close up view of the Obelisk at the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-09T04:02:00.000-07:00

The Obelisk is one of the most important and well know symbols of ancient Egypt, with some of them also having been taken from Egypt and now displayed with pride in cities such as London, Paris, Rome and Washington. This is a view of an Obelisk that was installed at the Karnak temple in Luxor, and has been allowed to remain there. It looks pretty impressive, although you can make out wear and tear in the lower section of the Obelisk (but the carvings can be seen).
The Obelisk is made in honor of the sun god Ra.
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Construction Crane just behind the Karnak temple complex

2011-09-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

Like many other historic sites in Egypt, Karnak too has a lot of modern civilization surrounding it. If you consider Giza (where the pyramids and the Sphinx are very close to urban civilization), then you get an idea of what I am talking about. In this photo, the construction crane is so close to the Karnak temple that you would think that it is actually inside the complex.
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View through the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

2011-09-07T03:36:00.000-07:00

This is a view through the narrow corridor between the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. Since there are 134 pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall, the space between the pillars is not all that much, and when you see yourself next to these huge pillars, you think about who could have put up these massive pillars 35 centuries back. And then consider how carvings that were made so many millenia back are still easily visible.
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A view of the obelisk at the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

The ancient Egyptian pharaohs used to erect obelisks at locations such as at the entrance to temples (and later, invaders carried away many of these obelisks and these are now located at many capitals of the world). This is an obelisk that was placed at the entrance to the Karnak temple by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut (one of the obelisks that she tried to get was cracked and hence left at its quarry site in Aswan, now known to tourists as the 'Unfinished Obelisk'). The lower section of the obelisk is all corroded, the carvings worn away over time.
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Article near the Karnak temple depicting the restoration work

2011-09-05T03:02:00.000-07:00

The Karnak temple in Luxor is 35 centuries old, and has suffered a lot of wear and tear over the ages. As a result, when the effort of restoration was taken up some decades back, the was a lot of work that was needed to be done (there are a couple of photos that I have posted earlier that shows the condition of the temple when it was finally enmarked for repair and restoration). This is a photo of an exhibit at the temple that displays some of the plans for the restoration (in this specific case, that of the courtyard of the 3rd pylon.
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Tourists at the base of the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

A group of tourists at the base of some of the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor. Seeing a photo such as this shows the sheer size of the pillars, and it is even more magnificent that this structure was built more than 35 centuries back. The Karnak temple is a very visited tourist spot, very popular with tourists.
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Gap between the pillars and some section of ruin at the end in the Hypostyle Hall

2011-09-03T04:32:00.000-07:00

In this photo, you can see the rows in which the pillars are aligned next to each other. In the end of the section, you can see a tree, and some stones on the ground. Further, you can see light and shadows on some of the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple; you need to see the Hall and its pillars in order to fully admire the view and the magnificence.
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Shadow and light falling on the pillars and the space between them

2011-09-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

The pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor contains 134 pillars (thicker in the middle, thinner at the bottom and top, and with a thick circular bottom); some of these pillars can be pretty close to each other, which means that there can be an interesting interplay of light and shadow during the daytime.
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View of tourists walking through the Karnak temple in Luxor

2011-09-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

A view of tourists walking through the Karnak temple in Luxor. Here in the photo, you can see a number of circular pillars in the background, rising high in the sky. The pathway is not very wide, just enough for a few people walking side by side. It looks massive and magnificent though, especially if you consider that the place was built around 35 centuries back.
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Sections of the Karnak temple in Luxor, where some sections of the temple are down

2011-08-31T03:51:00.000-07:00

A view of some of the sections of the Karnak temple in Luxor. The Karnak temple has many sections, but only the precinct of Amon-Re is open for tourists, with the rest open only to maintenance, and experts. So, our visit to the temple was only restricted to these areas. Here, you can get a view of the portions of the temple that is in a more broken down condition.
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