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Valley of the Queens

Valley of the Queens is a necropolis in ancient Thebes

The Valley of the Queens is a necropolis in ancient Thebes and is in the south of the Valley of the Kings. Members of the pharaohs of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th dynastie were discovered here in more than ninety graves.

In contrary to what the name suggests, not only queens were buried here. The Valley of the Queens, the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1979.

The tomb of the Nefertari is also located here, which marks one of the highlights in Luxor.

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Valley of the Queens

The impressive wall paintings and the complete decoration of the tomb show Nefertari’s position as the favourite wife of Pharaoh Ramses II. The magnificent tomb of Pharaoh Hatshepsut is also located on the west bank of the Nile in Thebes.

The impressive temple was carved into the rock like a terrace and is a proves great architecture. It is the best preserved monument in the necropolis.

The valley itself is located in a wadi of the mountain range behind Thebes and – unlike the Valley of the Kings – is freely accessible and not hidden between the rocks. Thus, the tombs there were more likely to be looted than those in the Valley of the Kings.

The neighbouring wadis also contain tombs. It is not known why this place was chosen for burial. However, it is considered likely that the shape of the mountain el-Qurn was the reason since it strongly resembles a huge pyramid.

There are three types of tombs:

The graves of the 18th dynasty are mainly princes, but princesses and prominent civil servants are also among the buried. However, the simple layout of the grave complexes without decoration and painting makes it difficult to identify the owners.

The tombs of the queens from the 19th and 20th dynasties are close to real apartments that consist of two large rooms with up to five secondary chambers.

They are usually richly decorated and always have similar depictions that show the journey of the deceased into the realm of Osiris and the light of Re.

There are also prince graves from the 20th dynasty, which are long and tubular. Only the burial chamber is slightly larger.

All tombs in the Valley of the Queens have one thing in common: they lack the superstructure.

The surrounding area also does not provide any evidence of formerly existing cult buildings or grave stelae. It is not possible to ascertain exactly whether the superstructure once existed or whether there was never a tomb cult.

Another possibility: The built chapels may have been destroyed in the course of history. One explanation may be that the grave and cult building were in different locations.

The majority of the tombs in the Valley of the Queens are well documented and maintained, while some of the tombs are insufficiently documented. Protective actions have been implemented with various organizations to maintain or restore the graves.

Excavations in the Valley of the Queens took place at the beginning of the 20th century mainly through the Italian Ernesto Schiaparelli, who also discovered the well-known tomb of the Nefertari. Till today it is not clear if there are still undiscovered graves,

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Valley of the Queens is a necropolis in ancient Thebes
Valley of the Queens is a necropolis in ancient Thebes
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Colossi of Memnon

Colossi of Memnon are not far from the Valley of the Kings

The Colossi of Memnon are not far from the Valley of the Kings. They are two colossal statues of ancient Egypt, originally opening the temple of Amenophis III, a pharaoh of the 18th dynasty.

Their construction is dated to the 14th century BC. The colossi are incorrectly named after King Memnon, who occurs in Greek mythology.

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This can be attributed to the breeze that took place in the morning at sunrise and passed through a crack in the statue at the time of the greatest temperature difference between the outer layer of air and the air trapped in the pores of the stone.

Thus it produced a sound which was regarded as a greeting from the mother of Memnon to Memnon himself.

The two statutes represent Amenophis III. sitting on a throne, his hands resting on his knees, looking towards the Nile. His face is no longer recognizable, nor is the crown on his head.

The Nemes headscarf is still well preserved. Both statues are framed by female figures; the one on the right is his wife Teje, on the left is the mother of Amenophis III, Mutemwia. Between the legs of Amenophis were small statues that represent an unknown daughter, but they are badly affected and are therefore barely recognizable.

On the sides of the throne wall paintings show the unification of the empire: Hapi, the god of the Nile flood, ties together lotus plants with papyrus bushes.

The former symbolize Upper Egypt, while the latter stand for Lower Egypt. The origin of the building material is also shown: the Gebel al Ahmar quarry on the Nile bank northeast of Cairo has been the source. According to recent studies, however, the material originates from the western bank of the Nile near Aswan.

Colossi of Memnon:

The statues are impressive from afar; they are almost 18 meters high and overlook the Nile. At 18.36 meters, the northern statue is slightly higher than the southern one (17.27 meters).

If the previously existing crowns are included, the statues were originally around 21 meters high. The bases of the statues are enormous: 10.50 meters x 5.50 meters at a height of 3.30 meters, with half of the base sunk into the ground.

An investigation conducted in the early 1970s was to determine the approximate weight of the colossi. Using the stone material, the southern statue was calculated at 720 tons, the base at 500 tons.

Although the colossal statues are now viewed more as individual monuments, they once stood at the side of the entrance to Amenophis III. mortuary temple. It was located behind the statues on an area of 700 meters length and 550 meters width.

The main building material used was clay, which made the temple less resistant to weather influences.

Above all, the annual flooding of the Nile severely damaged the temple. Around 1200 BC most of the temple was already gone. Parts of the ruins were also exploited by later pharaohs to build their own temples.

The Egyptologist Flinders Petrie found references of the statues on a stele on which Amenophis III. described the colossi. The temple of Amenophis III. was already from about 332 BC. on not existing any more. Why the Memnon colossi show severe damage could not be clarified fully. Either the Achaemenid king Kambyses II or possibly an earthquake caused it,

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Colossi of Memnon are not far from the Valley of the Kings
Colossi of Memnon are not far from the Valley of the Kings
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Medinet Habu

Medinet Habu Luxor, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III.

Medinet Habu, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III. is located across from Luxor as part of the necropolis in Medinet Habu.

The cult building, built as a million-year house, was used in particular to worship the god-like pharaoh. In addition to the main temple, the temple complex also includes other monuments: an Amun temple, funerary chapels of the wives of Amun and the Holy Lake.

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The temple complex in Medinet Habu is 315 meters long and 205 meters wide. A mud brick wall which was around 10 meters thick and 18 meters high, surrounds the temple and is still very well preserved. It generously surrounds the temple complex.

The so-called “High Gate” is the main entrance, the well preserved wall reliefs show the downfall of the pharaoh’s enemies. Rooms above the main gate were used by Ramses III. himself. A quay was once located in front of the gate, which ensured shipping on the Nile from Medinet Habu.

The passage to the forecourt of the mortuary temple within the surrounding wall is framed by two tower-like buildings, inside the passage itself there are two statutes of the goddess Sachmet.

In the northwest, shortly after the gate to the forecourt of the temple of Ramses III. are the tomb chapels of the wives of Amun, to the northeast is the Amun Temple, the oldest building in the temple complex.

Medinet Habu:

The palace joined with the actual mortuary temple and served as a residence for both this world and the hereafter.

The mortuary temple of Ramses III is built like an ordinary Egyptian temple for worshipping gods: 1st pylon, 1st courtyard, 2nd pylon, 2nd courtyard, Most Holy place. In Ramses III.’s mortuary temple, the first pylon has monumental dimensions (63 meters wide and 20 meters high).

The first courtyard is lined on the right by Osiris pillars, on the left a colonnade of columns defines the temple and the cult palace behind. The second, somewhat smaller pylon is followed by the second courtyard. It is symmetrical and smaller.

Its passages at the front and back are dominated by eight Osiris pillars. Five columns are on the right and left in the shape of papyrus rolls. The last part of the mortuary temple is the place of the holy sacrament, which is surrounded by formerly roofed rooms. Two groups of rose granite statues mark its place.

The special feature of the mortuary temple in Medinet Habu are the numerous reliefs, in which the former painting can even still be seen.

Mainly reliefs of war decorate the walls on the inside of the temple, the reliefs on the outside walls are also still in good condition; the relief of wild bull hunting as well as the land and sea battle against the sea peoples should be mentioned here.

Excavations around the temple at Medinet Habu near Luxor brought an entire city from the Pharaonic era to light. What makes it unusual: the west side of the Nile was actually considered the realm of the dead in ancient Egypt,

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Medinet Habu Luxor, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III.
Medinet Habu Luxor, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III.
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Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile Luxor Egypt

Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile Luxor Egypt

The Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile is a magnet for tourists from all over the world.

The necropolis is located near the ancient Egyptian Thebes, in which 64 graves and pits have been uncovered till today, including the Tutankhamun’s tomb with its famous gold death mask, which is exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

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Especially the rulers of the New Kingdom, which included the 18th to 20th dynasties and existed from 1550 to 1069 BC, are buried in the Valley of the Kings. Although the most massive tomb robbers and looters have tackled the tombs over the millennia, very valuable excavation finds have still been made in the Valley of the Kings. Howard Carter, for example, discovered the almost unpublished tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 after an intensive search – it is considered one of the most spectacular finds.

Finds show that the area of Thebes was already used as a necropolis during the First Intermediate Period. Mentuhotep II built the first mortuary temple in the necropolis Deir al Bahari, which is north of Thebes. Graves of at least three kings from the 11th dynasty were discovered northeast of the valley, including Antef I, Antef II and Antef III.

Dra Abu el Naga already served as a necropolis for the burial of Theban princes during the 17th dynasty. Thebes West was probably also used as the final resting place by the rulers of the 18th dynasty, who built numerous mortuary temples in front of the mountains that frame Thebes.

These include Hatshepsut, Amenophis III and Ramses II and III.

Valley of the Kings:

The tomb of Thutmosis I. was the first tomb to be clearly assigned to be his. The tomb of Thutmose III. is also located in the Valley of the Kings, its date of death could even be dated exactly: February 17, 1425 BC.

Other tombs such as that of Ramses I, who was the founder of the 19th dynasty, and Sethos I as well as Ramses XI. were also discovered in the valley. Ramses XI.

was considered the last ruler to have his grave built in Thebes. Grave looting took place during this time and graves were also robbed in search of gold during the 21st Dynasty.

In the course of this, Sheschonq I from the 22nd Dynasty arranged for the mummies to be transferred to other graves.

In 1708

Jesuit Father Claude Sicard identified the ruins of Luxor and Karnak as burial sites of ancient Thebes. He was the first person to locate Thebes.

The following discoverers of another twenty graves were Richard Pococke, James Bruce and William George Brown from Britain.

The reign of Napoleon brought more researchers and scientists to Egypt. This was the start of the systematic opening of graves, in which of numerous graves with mummies and grave goods were found.

The most sensational discovery was Tutankhamun’s grave, which Howard Carter uncovered in 1922, almost without being looted. In the nineties of the last century, the American Egyptologist Kent Weeks discovered further passages in a grave complex.

It is considered the largest of the tombs discovered so far. Another discovery caused a sensation in 2005: a burial chamber near the Tutankhamun tomb contained coffins and sealed clay pots. In 2012, a team from the University of Basel opened a grave containing the mummy of Nehemes Bastet, a singer of Amun,

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Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile Luxor Egypt
Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile Luxor Egypt
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Memphis Egypt former capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom

Memphis Egypt former capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom

Memphis Egypt, Slightly south of Cairo is Memphis, the former capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom.

The city’s historical past is as significant as it is final: Memphis once held a strategically important position in the Nile Delta, but with the rise of Alexandria, Memphis became less important and was finally forgotten.

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The city was apparently founded by Menes, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who ruled 3000 BC and became famous as the founder of the 1st dynasty.

He probably also accomplished the first unification of the empire, the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Menes built a dam, which was to protect the later built city, and a lake fed by Nile water with a Ptah temple. The dam is known today as Sadd al Kaffara.

Memphis Egypt:

Since Menes empire unification, Memphis has played an important role in religion, art and science in the country. During ancient Egypt, Memphis was considered a religious center.

The priests there established their own cult, which focused on the worshipping of a living bull that was considered sacred. They also developed their own theory of the history of creation.

There were also various gods and patron gods that served very different purposes, some of them were even imported from abroad.

The tombs in Memphis most likely belonged to prominent figures of the time. The city’s rise also began with the burial of the last three kings of the second dynasty. Until the end of the sixth dynasty, Memphis was considered the residence and administrative city of ancient Egypt.

The foundation was made for a first, organized administration with a central government from which all important decisions regarding the whole country were made.

From the third to the sixth dynasty, numerous royal and civil servant necropolises developed in Saqqara. After the end of the sixth dynasty, Memphis lost its importance as an administrative seat and capital.

Mentuhotep:

who ruled from Thebes during the Middle Kingdom, brought artists from Memphis and thus ensured that Theban art received an enormous revival.

While Thebes rose as the new imperial capital in the New Kingdom, Memphis also began to regain its importance, particularly in the military field.

While the numerous Ramses kings were in power, the army’s command center remained in Memphis. In the aftermath and under the later Roman rule, Memphis remained a dynamic trading city – despite multiple conquests by foreign rulers.

During the succeeding Arab rule, Amr Ibn al As founded the city of Fustat north of Memphis, which would later become the center of Cairo.

Memphis was used as a material source to build the city’s buildings. All the temples and palaces existing there were thus destroyed over time, and the material was used for buildings and mosques in Cairo.

The few remaining ruins fell victim to nature,

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Memphis Egypt former capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom
Memphis Egypt former capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom
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Luxor Egypt Tours open air museum in the world | temple district in ancient Egypt

Luxor Egypt open air museum in the world | temple district in ancient Egypt

Luxor Egypt Tours – the city of palaces. It is probably the most impressive open air museum in the world. Its name most likely goes back to its role as a temple district in ancient Egypt.

The magic of history is tangible, Luxor’s wealth of historical treasures is one of a kind. The Nile divides the city into east and west, which symbolized life and death in ancient Egypt.

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While the modern city developed on the east bank, the west bank is known for its necropolises and magnificent temples.

This magic is so present in the Karnak Temple that the sudden appearance of an Amun priest behind one of the huge pillars would surely not be a surprise. The Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex and has been repeatedly rebuilt and expanded.

Since 1979, the temple, together with the Luxor temple and the Theban necropolis, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

In the middle of the city, directly on the banks of the Nile, is the Luxor Temple. Visiting this temple in the evening with its wonderful lighting is an almost surreal experience, hence its impressive past appears even more manifest.

The beautifully lit boats and feluccas on the banks of the Nile illuminate the Egyptian night and immerse the Nile in a sea of dancing reflections.

The Luxor Museum, located between the Luxor and Karnak temples, houses finds from the royal metropolis Thebes and the surrounding area. With its beautiful statues, it is worth a visit.

Luxor Egypt Tours:

The Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile is a magnet for tourists from all over the world.

The renowned necropolis is located near the ancient Egyptian Thebes, in which 64 tombs and pits have been uncovered, including Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Howard Carter discovered the almost complete tomb in 1922 after intensively searching. The famous golden death mask of the pharaoh is exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

One of the highlights of Luxor is the tomb of Nefertari, located in the Valley of the Queens.

Its impressive wall paintings and complete decoration of the tomb show Nefertari’s position as the favourite wife of Pharaoh Ramses II. The magnificent tomb of Pharaoh Hatshepsut is also found on the west bank of the Nile in Thebes.

With the impressive temple carved into the rock like a terrace, it is a witness of great architecture and the best-preserved monument in the Deir al-Bahari necropolis.

Standing on its stairs, it gives visitors a glimpse of the green Nile valley – a tremendous view. Talking about superlatives, the Colossi of Memnon, the stone giants that stand at the entrance to the sights of the West Bank, appear.

In ancient times, the Colossi of Memnon were considered a wonder of the world. The 15-meter and 18-meter statues embody Amenophis III and are the remains of his temple.

Not far away, the Nile winds through its valley and invites you to take a boat trip on one of the countless feluccas – a welcome change of perspective that directs the view to the beautiful nature in the desert landscape,

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Luxor Egypt open air museum in the world | temple district in ancient Egypt
Luxor Egypt open air museum in the world | temple district in ancient Egypt
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Luxor temple Egypt directly on the banks of the Nile

Luxor temple Egypt directly on the banks of the Nile

In the middle of the city, directly on the banks of the Nile, is the Luxor Temple located. It was built during the New Kingdom for the god Amun, his wife Mut and their son Chons.

The temple consists of many different elements. The Sphingen alley, which originally connected the Luxor temple with the Karnak temple from the forecourt of Nektanebos, leads in a northeasterly direction and was only uncovered in the early 2000s.

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Once surrounded by a surrounding wall, it is now barely existent. A pylon borders the courtyard in the southwest. In ancient times there were two seated figures in front of it, standing statues and two obelisks. Three statues and an obelisk are missing today.

That one obelisk sits today on the Place de la Concorde in Paris and was a gift from Sultan Muhammad Ali to the King of France.

The pylon that borders the courtyard consists of two massive walls on each side of the entrance. The outer walls of the towers are decorated with portraits of the Ramses.

This pylon leads to the courtyard of Ramses II, its walls are decorated with scenes of sacrifice and the sons of Ramses II. The rooms of the so-called three-nave chapel of Queen Hatshepsut are intended for the gods Amun, Mut and Chons.

Luxor temple:

The Abu el Haggag mosque is located in the eastern part of the courtyard. The grave of Abu el Haggag lies underneath the mosque. Because the temple was buried at the time of building the mosque, the mosque is about five meters above the level of the temple.

A colonnade of columns follows the courtyard. The entrance to it is lined with a pharaoh statue and a seating group, which embodies Amun and Mut.

They are assigned to the 18th Dynasty, although they carry the name of Ramses II. The courtyard of Amenophis III is located after the colonnade of columns. Statues of pharaohs, gods and sphinxes found here several meters below, are exhibited in the Luxor Museum.

Similar pillars as in the previous courtyard can be found in the southern pillared hall.

To the right and left of the courtyard are two small chapels dedicated to the goddess Mut and the god Chons. Amenophis III. is seen on the reliefs before the gods of Thebes. They also show his coronation.

A door in the middle leads into an apse, which was converted into a tetrarch sanctuary during the Roman empire.

The apse is framed by two Corinthian columns, which is followed by another smaller portico. In the sanctuary behind, the barque of Amun was placed. The other rooms can be reached through the room to the east.

In the birth room, the story of Amenophis III. from the conception of Queen Mutemwia by Amun till birth is shown. The other side of the wall shows his accession to the throne.

In the evening, visiting the Luxor Temple with its wonderful lighting is an almost surreal experience, the impressive past then appears even greater. The beautifully lit boats and feluccas on the banks of the Nile illuminate the Egyptian night and immerse the Nile in a sea of dancing reflections,

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Luxor temple Egypt directly on the banks of the Nile
Luxor temple Egypt directly on the banks of the Nile
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Luxor Egypt temples in Karnak & the Valley of the Kings

Luxor Egypt temples in Karnak & the Valley of the Kings

Luxor Egypt – the city of palaces. The name “Luxor” with its meaning probably relates to the Arabic words Al-Qusur (the castles) or Al-Qasr (the barracks). It is one of the most impressive open air museum in the world.

Luxor is located east of the Nile and represents the largest city in Upper Egypt with almost 500,000 inhabitants.

Since 2009, Luxor has also been the capital of the back then newly founded Al Uqsur Governorate.

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Due to the large and important archaeological sites in Egypt, Luxor is the center of the region.

The city’s main economical power comes from tourism. In addition to the sightseeing places, many other businesses have therefore emerged, such as trips to Banana Island or the alabaster factories.

Famous places are such as the temples in Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the ruins in Thebes.

In Pharaonic times, Luxor was part of the fourth Upper Egyptian administrative center, a so-called Gau. This Gau was first mentioned on a statue related to King Mykerinos.

Towards the end of the Old Kingdom, this Gau increasingly shifted to the north. At that time Luxor was part of Thebes with Karnak and the cemeteries on the west bank.

The lords of the 11th and the kings of the 12th dynasty were able to expand their power and influence both north and south. Thebes represented an important religious center at that time.

According to various archaeological finds, construction activities could be assigned to the 13th dynasty under King Sobekhotep. Parts of his buildings were used to build the Luxor temple.

Luxor Egypt:

In the meantime, with the immigrants from Syria and Palestine, the Hyksos, new rulers came to Thebes, who could be evicted again during the 17th dynasty.

Amenophis I. was the first pharaoh to rule over a reunited country, establishing the New Kingdom. He made Egypt a flourishing country again.

The capital of the newly unified empire was moved to Thebes, while Thebes developed into a religious center. Today’s Luxor Temple is believed to have taken the place of earlier sanctuaries located here.

During the Third Intermediate Period, the imperial capitals were again located in the north, since Thebes was devastated by Assurbanipal, king of the Assyrian Empire, and became increasingly less important.

Roman times brought Christianity to Luxor. In the course of this, churches were built, the first diocese can be dated to 325 AD. Christian communities developed in both Luxor and Armant in the following centuries.

The most important Islamic Saint in Luxor is Abu el Haggag, whose son had a tomb mosque built for him and his father over the Luxor temple.

In the 17th century Luxor became famous in Europe for the first time. Capuchin monks described the Luxor temple and Christian housings, whereupon the Catholic Church built a Franciscan monastery in Luxor, which was followed by the settlements of other Christian religious communities.

Napoleon’s reign:

expeditions to Luxor were initiated and at the end of the 19th century the Luxor temple was starting to be uncovered by scientists and explorers.

As a result, Luxor turned more and more into a tourist destination, which was traveled by paddle steamers traveling the nile as well as trains. At the end of the 1950s, the Luxor Temple was accessible for the first time; at the beginning of the 2000s, the Sphingen alley was also mostly uncovered.

Today Luxor is a fully developed touristically. The Nile is still considered an important transportation route that takes tourists on their cruises between ancient Abydos in the north and Aswan in the south to the numerous sights on the right and left of the Nile,

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Luxor Egypt temples in Karnak & the Valley of the Kings
Luxor Egypt temples in Karnak & the Valley of the Kings
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Karnak Temple luxor largest temple complex in Egypt

Karnak Temple luxor largest temple complex in Egypt

The Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex in Egypt and has been repeatedly rebuilt or expanded. Since 1979, the temple, together with the Luxor temple and the Theban necropolis, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

This magic is so present in the hall of the Karnak Temple that the sudden emergence of an Amun priest behind one of the huge pillars would not be a big surprise.

Where the name “Karnak” originates is not known. It is believed to be due to the existence of a wall surrounding the village, thus meaning fortress or fortified village.

The former village is therefore the namesake of the temple. Karnak as a town was south of today’s temple.

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The Sphingen alley, which connects the Karnak with the Luxor temple, leads through the former village. During the 20th century, construction took place north of the temple that represents New Karnak.

The earliest evidence of the existence of the Amun cult in Thebes is assigned to the Middle Kingdom. During the 11th dynasty Amun rose to the local deity of Thebes. Changes of the temple were carried out even during the Greco-Roman period.

Karnak Temple:

The temple complex consists of three districts: the district of Amun, the district of Month and the district of Mut. In addition to these large temples, there are smaller ones, such as the Aton Temple, which was built by Akhenaten. In the district of Amun are the following monuments located: great temple of Amun-Re, the temple of Chons, the barque sanctuary of Ramses III, a temple of Ipet, a small sanctuary of Ptah and the temple of Amenhotep II.

The Temple of Amun-Re has existed since the 11th Dynasty and was considered a chosen place in the Pharaonic period.

It is the largest Egyptian temple, while it is not really a classical temple than rather several different sacred buildings that were built together.

Over time, parts of the temple were torn down to use the building material for other purposes. Only the center of the temple has remained untouched until today.

The temple of Chons is a temple dedicated to the god Chons which is also located in the temple district of Amun. Chons was known as the son of the fertility god Amun and the goddess Mut. Its temple measures 80 meters long and 30 meters wide.

Ipet, who was also honored with a temple, was the goddess of birth and mother of Osiris. She is also considered the mistress of magical protection and was regarded as being equivalent to Hathor.

The district of Amun also includes the following facilities:

  • White chapel
  • Red chapel
  • Alabaster chapel
  • Temple of Ramses III.
  • Holy Lake

With an almost square area (151 mx 155 m), the District of the Month is right next to the large district of Amun-Re.

There are other structures within the surrounding wall, which dates from the time of Nektanebos I.: a temple of the Maat and a temple of the Harpare, as well as a treasure house of Thutmosis I outside the surrounding wall.

The Mut district is located approximately 350 meters south of the Amun-Re temple and covers almost 90,000 square meters with approximate side lengths of 250 and 350 meters.

The two temples were connected by an avenue of sphinxes. The Temple of Mut is also surrounded on three sides by the Holy Lake,

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Karnak Temple luxor largest temple complex in Egypt
Karnak Temple luxor largest temple complex in Egypt