Luxor Attractions

Venue: Karnak    When: Daily

The monumental temple complex of Karnak is still, after 4000 years, the largest and one of the most impressive religious structures in the world.

In its heyday the temple was one of the supreme man-made glories on the planet, a city of gods and godlike priest-kings to the peasant population of Egypt.

The complex, more akin to a whole city than to a series of temples, consists of three central temples, each dedicated to one of the patron gods of Thebes, a host of smaller temples dedicated to lesser deities and a vast sacred lake. You can easily spend days or weeks exploring the site, as it is incredibly vast, but for the highlights you're best off heading towards the central temple compounds.

Dedicated to the Theban trinity of Amon, Mut and Khonsu, the Karnak complex was known as Ipet-isut, "most select of places", and took more than 2000 years to build. It is still the largest religious structure, or rather compound, ever made by mankind. It covers more than 200 acres of rooms, halls and corridors and the central temple of Amon-Ra could easily house St Peter's Basilica, the Milan Duomo and Notre-Dame cathedral. The Hypostyle Hall is the largest room of any religious building in the world, measuring 54,000 square feet, with 134 columns.

There is also an impressive and popular Sound and Light Show that takes place here in the evening (conducted in three different languages) - useful for learning about the history of the site. As for the temple, arrive early in the morning (particularly during peak tourist season) if you want the chance to wander the complex without the company of countless coach parties.