{"id":1665,"date":"2017-07-18T16:56:39","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T16:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ncc-zeliart\/?post_type=chapter&p=1665"},"modified":"2018-07-03T02:16:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-03T02:16:17","slug":"new-kingdom-temple-of-amun-re-and-the-hypostyle-hall-karnak","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ncc-zeliart\/chapter\/new-kingdom-temple-of-amun-re-and-the-hypostyle-hall-karnak\/","title":{"raw":"New Kingdom: Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak","rendered":"New Kingdom: Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

View of sphinxes, the first pylon, and the central east-west aisle of Temple of Amun-Re, Karnak in Luxor, Egypt (photo:\u00a0Mark Fox<\/a>, CC: BY-NC 2.0)<\/h4>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
The massive temple complex of Karnak was the principal religious center of the god Amun-Re in Thebes during the New Kingdom (which lasted from 1550 until 1070 B.C.E.). The complex remains one of the largest religious complexes in the world. However, Karnak was not just one temple dedicated to one god\u2014it held not only the main precinct to the god Amun-Re\u2014but also the precincts of the gods Mut and Montu. Compared to other temple compounds that survive from ancient Egypt, Karnak is in a poor state of preservation but it still gives scholars a wealth of information about Egyptian religion and art.<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Google Earth view of Karnak<\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\"The Most Select of Places\"<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
The site was first developed during the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 B.C.E.) and was initially modest in scale but as new importance was placed on the city of Thebes, subsequent pharaohs began to place their own mark on Karnak. The main precinct alone would eventually have as many as twenty temples and chapels.[1] Karnak was known in ancient times as \u201cThe Most Select of Places\u201d (Ipet-isut<\/em>) and was not only the location of the cult image of Amun and a place for the god to dwell on earth but also a working estate for the priestly community who lived on site. Additional buildings included a sacred lake, kitchens, and workshops for the production of religious accoutrements.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Model of the Precinct of Amun-Re, Karnak (photo:\u00a0R\u00e9mih<\/a>, CC: BY-SA 3.0)<\/h4>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
The main temple of Amun-Re had two axes\u2014one that went north\/south and the other that extended east\/west. The southern axis continued towards the temple of Luxor and was connected by an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

\"Tent pole\" columns, Festival Temple of Thutmose III, c. 1479-25 B.C.E., sandstone, mud brick, paint, Karnak, at Luxor, Egypt (photo:\u00a0Dennis Jarvis<\/a>, CC: BY-SA 2.0)<\/h4>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
While the sanctuary was plundered for stone in ancient times, there are still a number of unique architectural features within this vast complex. For example, the tallest obelisk in Egypt stood at Karnak and was dedicated by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut who ruled Egypt during the New Kingdom. Made of one piece of red granite, it originally had a matching obelisk that was removed by the Roman emperor Constantine and re-erected in Rome. Another unusual feature was the Festival Temple of Thutmose III, which had columns that represented tent poles, a feature this pharaoh was no doubt familiar with from his many war campaigns.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Hypostyle Hall<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n\r\nOne of the greatest architectural marvels of Karnak is the hypostyle hall built during the Ramesside period (a hypostyle hall is a space with a roof supported by columns). The hall has 134 massive sandstone columns with the center twelve columns standing at 69 feet. Like most of the temple decoration, the hall would have been brightly painted and some of this paint still exists on the upper portions of the columns and ceiling today. With the center of the hall taller than the spaces on either side, the Egyptians allowed for clerestory lighting (a section of wall that allowed light and air into the otherwise dark space below). In fact, the earliest evidence for clerestory lighting comes from Egypt. Not many ancient Egyptians would have had access to this hall, since the further one went into the temple, the more restricted access became.\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Hypostyle Hall, c. 1250 B.C.E. (hall), 18th and 19th Dynasties, New Kingdom, sandstone and mud brick, Karnak, at Luxor, Egypt (photo:\u00a0Blalonde<\/a>, public domain)<\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Temple as cosmos<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
Conceptually, temples in Egypt were connected to the idea of\u00a0zep tepi<\/em>, or \u201cthe first time,\u201d the beginnings of the creation of the world. The temple was a reflection of this time, when the mound of creation emerged from the primeval waters. The pylons, or gateways in the temple represent the horizon, and as one moves further into the temple, the floor rises until it reaches the sanctuary of the god, giving the impression of a rising mound, like that during creation. The temple roof represented the sky and was often decorated with stars and birds. The columns were designed with lotus, papyrus, and palm plants in order to reflect the marsh-like environment of creation. The outer areas of Karnak, which was located near the Nile River, would flood during the annual inundation\u2014an intentional effect by the ancient designers no doubt, in order to enhance the temple's symbolism.2<\/a>]<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Plan of the Temple of Amun-Re, Karnak<\/h4>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
Essay by Dr. Elizabeth Cummins<\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
[1] R. Wilkinson,\u00a0The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt<\/em>\u00a0(New York, Thames & Hudson, 2000), p. 154.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
[2] R. Wilkinson,\u00a0The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt<\/em>\u00a0(New York, Thames & Hudson, 2000), p. 77.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

View of sphinxes, the first pylon, and the central east-west aisle of Temple of Amun-Re, Karnak in Luxor, Egypt (photo:\u00a0Mark Fox<\/a>, CC: BY-NC 2.0)<\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The massive temple complex of Karnak was the principal religious center of the god Amun-Re in Thebes during the New Kingdom (which lasted from 1550 until 1070 B.C.E.). The complex remains one of the largest religious complexes in the world. However, Karnak was not just one temple dedicated to one god\u2014it held not only the main precinct to the god Amun-Re\u2014but also the precincts of the gods Mut and Montu. Compared to other temple compounds that survive from ancient Egypt, Karnak is in a poor state of preservation but it still gives scholars a wealth of information about Egyptian religion and art.<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Google Earth view of Karnak<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

“The Most Select of Places”<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The site was first developed during the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 B.C.E.) and was initially modest in scale but as new importance was placed on the city of Thebes, subsequent pharaohs began to place their own mark on Karnak. The main precinct alone would eventually have as many as twenty temples and chapels.[1] Karnak was known in ancient times as \u201cThe Most Select of Places\u201d (Ipet-isut<\/em>) and was not only the location of the cult image of Amun and a place for the god to dwell on earth but also a working estate for the priestly community who lived on site. Additional buildings included a sacred lake, kitchens, and workshops for the production of religious accoutrements.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Model of the Precinct of Amun-Re, Karnak (photo:\u00a0R\u00e9mih<\/a>, CC: BY-SA 3.0)<\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The main temple of Amun-Re had two axes\u2014one that went north\/south and the other that extended east\/west. The southern axis continued towards the temple of Luxor and was connected by an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

“Tent pole” columns, Festival Temple of Thutmose III, c. 1479-25 B.C.E., sandstone, mud brick, paint, Karnak, at Luxor, Egypt (photo:\u00a0Dennis Jarvis<\/a>, CC: BY-SA 2.0)<\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
While the sanctuary was plundered for stone in ancient times, there are still a number of unique architectural features within this vast complex. For example, the tallest obelisk in Egypt stood at Karnak and was dedicated by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut who ruled Egypt during the New Kingdom. Made of one piece of red granite, it originally had a matching obelisk that was removed by the Roman emperor Constantine and re-erected in Rome. Another unusual feature was the Festival Temple of Thutmose III, which had columns that represented tent poles, a feature this pharaoh was no doubt familiar with from his many war campaigns.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Hypostyle Hall<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

One of the greatest architectural marvels of Karnak is the hypostyle hall built during the Ramesside period (a hypostyle hall is a space with a roof supported by columns). The hall has 134 massive sandstone columns with the center twelve columns standing at 69 feet. Like most of the temple decoration, the hall would have been brightly painted and some of this paint still exists on the upper portions of the columns and ceiling today. With the center of the hall taller than the spaces on either side, the Egyptians allowed for clerestory lighting (a section of wall that allowed light and air into the otherwise dark space below). In fact, the earliest evidence for clerestory lighting comes from Egypt. Not many ancient Egyptians would have had access to this hall, since the further one went into the temple, the more restricted access became.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Hypostyle Hall, c. 1250 B.C.E. (hall), 18th and 19th Dynasties, New Kingdom, sandstone and mud brick, Karnak, at Luxor, Egypt (photo:\u00a0Blalonde<\/a>, public domain)<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Temple as cosmos<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Conceptually, temples in Egypt were connected to the idea of\u00a0zep tepi<\/em>, or \u201cthe first time,\u201d the beginnings of the creation of the world. The temple was a reflection of this time, when the mound of creation emerged from the primeval waters. The pylons, or gateways in the temple represent the horizon, and as one moves further into the temple, the floor rises until it reaches the sanctuary of the god, giving the impression of a rising mound, like that during creation. The temple roof represented the sky and was often decorated with stars and birds. The columns were designed with lotus, papyrus, and palm plants in order to reflect the marsh-like environment of creation. The outer areas of Karnak, which was located near the Nile River, would flood during the annual inundation\u2014an intentional effect by the ancient designers no doubt, in order to enhance the temple’s symbolism.2<\/a>]<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Plan of the Temple of Amun-Re, Karnak<\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Essay by Dr. Elizabeth Cummins<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
[1] R. Wilkinson,\u00a0The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt<\/em>\u00a0(New York, Thames & Hudson, 2000), p. 154.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
[2] R. Wilkinson,\u00a0The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt<\/em>\u00a0(New York, Thames & Hudson, 2000), p. 77.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>