Spanning 200+ acres at Luxor and expanded by pharaohs over 2,000 years, Karnak was ancient Egypt's largest religious complex. Its Great Hypostyle Hall covers 50,000+ sq ft with 134 colossal columns (tallest nearly 70 ft) topped by papyrus-shaped capitals. Hatshepsut's granite obelisk from Aswan stands ~100 ft and weighs 300+ tons.
Karnak: the largest ancient religious complex, with 134-column hypostyle hall
Key facts
- Expanded by pharaohs for more than 2,000 years at Thebes (modern Luxor)
- Covers more than 200 acres, dedicated primarily to Amun-Ra
- Great Hypostyle Hall covers more than 50,000 sq ft and contains 134 colossal columns, with the tallest reaching nearly 70 ft
- Column capitals resemble blooming papyrus plants
- Single-piece granite obelisks transported hundreds of miles from Aswan; Hatshepsut's obelisk stands nearly 100 ft tall and weighs more than 300 tons
- Main temple axis aligned with winter solstice sunrise
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