Sections of the Karnak temple in Luxor, where some sections of the temple are down

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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Places inside the Karnak temple, where the structure is more in ruins

In the huge Karnak temple in Luxor (constructed over 35 centuries back), has seen construction ongoing by many pharaohs over its history, and has many different sections. Some of them are in a good condition, some of them are in a more ruinous condition. In this case, this is a section of the temple that is in a not so good condition.
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Carvings on a pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak temple in Luxor

The Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor is a magnificent structure, containing 134 pillars, spread over an area of 50,000 square feet. Most of the roof of the structure has fallen, but there are still portions of the structure where the roof of the structure still remains and can be watched.
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Multiple levels of the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor

Typically, one thinks of pillars as single level structures. In this photo, you can see that the pillars has multiple levels, atleast more than one level. This is a remnant from the original structure that was constructed a long time back; and you can see that there is some structure on top of the pillar.
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View of the Obelisk, as seen from the rows of pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

The Obelisk is one of the most important representation of ancient Egypt. The female pharaoh Hatshepsut put 2 Obelisk's at the entrance to the temple, but only one remains in a proper condition now. You can see a clear view of the Obelisk, visible from within the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall (you can see the pillars on either side of the view).
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The straight lines in which the pillars in the Hypostyle Hall are arranged

In previous photos, I have mentioned that the 134 pillars in the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple are arranged in multiple rows. In this photo, you can see clearly how this is actually so, since the pillars are arranged in these 2 rows; these lines extend in 2 rows right to the wall at the end.
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Light and shadow on a pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

An image of the play of light and shadow on the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple in Luxor. The tall convex pillars stand close to each other and with the sun shining down, the pillars block the light of the sun and cast a number of shadows on the pillars. This looked good as well.
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View of the huge bases of the pillars in the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak

When wandering inside the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple, you see how huge these pillars are. In this photo, you can see the base of the pillars in the hall, and how large they have been made, made more than 35 centuries back by the pharaohs of those times.
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Narrow gap between 2 rows of pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak temple

When you wander among the rows of huge pillars at the Hypostule Hall in the Karnak temple, you realize the huge scale of the structure, with the pillars rising high into the sky, and the space between them not being all that much (I also used to wonder whether the hall was ever used for public gatherings and the like).
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Narrow path between the pillars in the Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple

The Great Hypostyle Hall at the Karnak temple is an incredible sight. There are these huge pillars (134 of them), located in a hall that covers an area of approx. 50,000 square feet. The Hall has a total of 134 pillars, divided into 2 sizes. There are 10 pillars that are 21 meters tall, and 122 pillars that are 10 meters tall (with these pillars arranged in 16 rows). You can walk through these lines of pillars to reach to the other end, as you can see in the photo of tourists walking between these huge pillars.
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Image of pharaoh and others on a pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak

I was trying to get a specific photo of what the carvings on a pillar look like, so went close to one of them and tried to get a photo of the carvings. This pillar shows a carving of a pharaoh, and possibly, the interaction of the pharaoh with the Gods. And of course, I was struck by how much detail remains of these carvings even 35 centuries after they were made.
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Pillars at the edge of the Hypostyle Hall along with the surrounding wall in the Karnak temple

Once you get inside the Hypostyle Hall (in the Karnak temple at Luxor), you realize the size of the huge pillars (all 134 of them), with these pillars having the remains of some equisite carving on them. Some of the pillars (very few of them) are connected at the top with a ceiling (called the architrave). Most of the others have fallen down, but you have to admire the building practices of 35 centuries back, which enabled the construction of such a huge building without the support of cranes, and the like.
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Closer view of the base of a pillar inside the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak temple in Luxor

The Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor is a huge hall. It has a total of 134 pillars, arranged in multiple rows, covering a space of 50,000 square feet. Most of the roof of the hall has fallen down, although as part of restoration, a part of the roof still remains (with the paintings on these also visible). This photo shows a detailed view of the carvings on a pillar, shot in very close up.
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The pillars of the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak, along with a view of architrave on top

There is a lot of speculation about how the roof of the pillars (known as the architrave) was constructed, since these were very heavy. What was the mechanism used to bring these heavy pieces (70 tonnes) to the top of the pillars ? There is no clarity on these items, with no conclusive proof available. In this photo, you can see a section of the pillars with roof on top (although most of the roof has fallen).
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Carvings on multiple pillars inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

In previous photos, I have shown some glimpses of the Great Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple. This is a very large hall, with 134 pillars, in various states of decay but all of them are standing. The carvings on the pillars are retained in some form, although they have vanished from several sections of the pillars. It was very impressive when I was standing there in the middle of all the pillars.
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Scaffolding next to a cracked portion of wall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

The structures inside the Karnak temple in Luxor is very old, built around 35 centuries back. As a result of this old time period of construction, and general decay over the centuries by weather, there is damage to much of the structures inside the temple. In this photo, you can see a picture of scaffolding next to a cracked wall of the temple.
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Carvings on a pillar inside the Great Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

The Great Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple is one of the most amazing parts of the Karnak temple. It has 134 huge pillars, all of them with carvings on the pillar, and covers an area of 50,000 square feet. The roof of the hall is no longer present (except for a couple of small sections); and there is a lot of speculation about how the huge roof of the hall was put up, since each of these small sections of the roof weighs around 70 tonnes.
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People walking among the remains of the Karnak temple in Luxor

The Karnak temple in Luxor is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city of Luxor, being a magnificent symbol of the constructions in ancient Egypt. This photo shows a large number of tourists wandering within the complex, admiring the scene around them, admiring these huge structures, some of which are in a state of ruin, and others are somewhat in a more stable condition.
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Scaffolding near a pillar at one section of the Hypostyle Hall in the Karnak temple

In a lot of Egyptian monuments, you can see scaffolding, or folks involved in some sort of restoration or preservation. It is only in the last 4-5 decades that Egypt has realized the full potential of its history, and has made efforts to preserve what remains and try to repair what is in some state of disarray. It is big effort, because of the number of monuments that exist in some state today.
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Egyptian hieroglyphs on a small section inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

A section of Karnak temple in Luxor, which has a view of Egyptian hieroglyphs. These hieroglyphs defied translation for a long period of time, although many experts tried their hand at translating them. However, these could not be confirmed. It was the discovery of the Rosetta stone by the invading troops of Napoleon that provided the breakthrough, where 2 versions of the ancient script along with the Greek version were present.
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View between the pillars of the Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

The Great Hypostyle Hall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor is an incredible piece of architecture, with 134 large columns, supporting a roof over a hall of over 50,000 sq. feet, and all this was done many centuries before Christ. You can see carvings on the pillars inside the Hypostyle Hall, as well as the Obelisk in the distance.
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Front view of a statue of a pharaoh in the classical pose, inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

If you are touristing in Egypt, you would see views of the pharaoh in many locations, in the classical pose where the statue shows the arms crossed (I was trying to search as to why the arms of the pharaohs are shown as crossed in their statues, but could not find a reason for the same). This is a large statue of one of the pharaohs inside the Karnak temple at Luxor.
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View of a large obelisk, as one walks inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

The obelisk is a prominent part of ancient Egyptian architecture, although many of the Obelisks have been dispersed throughout the world (some of them as presents, some of them through conquests). The Obelisk is seen as a representative of the sun god Ra, with this particular example being seen inside the magnificent temple at Karnak in Luxor. Obelisks were typically put outside the entrances of temples, typically put in pairs.
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Some amount of degraded walls at the Karnak temple in Luxor

The problems with historical structures is that the urge to preserve them (along with the financing and the technology) has only happened in the last few decades. For many historic monuments, the damage over the centuries to parts of their construction (or in some cases, to the whole monument itself) is so considerable that they cannot be restored. This wall where the structure seems so badly damaged is an example where there was no need to try and restore it.
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Photo of the view of the Hypostyle Hall at the Karnak temple before it was restored

The Karnak temple in Luxor has been around for many millenia. The Hypostyle Hall is one of the most classic pieces of ancient architecture, with 134 pillars supporting a roof covering an area of 50,000 sq. feet, and these were very large pillars. Over the ages, there was a lot of damage to the entire structure, and if you see the current view, you will not be able to believe the amount of restoration work that was done.
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Pillars and open gate at the Karnak temple in Luxor, providing a view of a restricted section

A few of some of the pillars at the Karnak temple in Luxor. The whole of the temple complex is not open for tourists, with many sections having been cordoned off. This is a photo of a view of one of the sections of the temple complex which was not open to tourists, although a view of the section was visible through the open gate.
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View of scaffolding for repair work at the Karnak temple in Luxor

Like most buildings that were built in Ancient Egypt, the Karnak temple was built many millenia ago; so it remarkable that they survive in recognizable form nowadays. But like most other structures, it requires maintenance and repair on a regular basis; in this photo, you can see the scaffolding that has been erected so that repair and restoration work can happen on the walls of this magnificent temple.
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A row of pillars that seem to have been cut in half inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

The Karnak temple in Luxor has been built many many centuries back (being built around the 14th century BC), and there are many examples of the long time period having taken its toll. At the same time, some of the decay seems a bit mysterious. Consider these pillars that have been cut, and seemingly cut by some sharp knives, to show such a fine cut.
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Pillars inside the Karnak temple in Luxor, with a wall seemingly blocking the way

One of the pleasures of visiting Egyptian temples is the sight of the pillars inside the structure, and many of them were very well decorated. In the Karnak temple in Luxor, there are these pillars, although decay over the centuries seems to have stripped the carvings and other signs from the pillars. The scene behind the pillars also seems to have been blocked, with a wall behind it (although it is not clear whether this was a wall built in historical times, or in recent times).
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Sun emerging from behind a structure of the Karnak temple in Luxor

The photo shows a wall inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. It seems like a high wall, and in this photo, you can see the blocks of stone that made up this wall. This structure seems in place even 34 centuries after it was made. I have a fascination for photos of the sun emerging from behind structures, and tried to get a similar photo.
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The sun behind a high structure inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

This photo is one of the tallest structures inside the Karnak temple (located in Luxor). It seems incredible that ancient builders made such a high structure that has remained in place (without much apparent damage) 34 centuries back. I tried to get a photo of the sun emerging from behind the structure.
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The remaining base (pedestral) of a statue inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

Like some previous photos, this photo shows the decay caused by the ravages of time. The Karnak temple in Luxor was built around 34 centuries back, and there are sections of the temple that are in a pretty good condition, but there are also sections that are more damaged; such as this base of a statue where the statue has disappeared.
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A huge statue of a pharaoh inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

This is a relatively unscathed statue inside the Karnak temple in Luxor. I don't know which pharaoh this is a statue of, but it is made in the same way as most statues of pharaohs are, with their arms crossed. The statue is slightly cordoned off, with some basic protection, so that tourists do not touch it.
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The cut off section of a round pillar inside the Karnak temple in Luxor

The Karnak temple in Luxor is a huge temple complex, with a number of pharaohs having contributed towards building of the temple complex. It was built around 34 centuries back, which is why it is great that the temple still retains many of the structures in fairly good condition. This is one part of the structure that seems to have suffered the ravages of time, with the pillar having been cut in between.
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