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Drawings of Temples of Luxor and Karnak
by Jorge Perez-Rubio

The Temple of Luxor was linked to Karnak by an avenue of lined with Sphinx. In the center of the temple is the mosque of Abu El-Hagag, probably the oldest in Luxor. The Fatimid style mosque from around the 12Cent remained on the site after the first excavations of the temple in the 1880's. It now sits above the pylons as all the sand has been removed to reveal the Temple of Luxor.

The Temple of Karnak is a whole other world. The oldest religious site on the planet and larger than the Vatican in Rome it is really a crazy place - it's huge and one can get lost running throught he hypostyles or from one "chapel" to another. Below are a few contour drawings of this magnificent site, the size of a small town or the largest malls, it's a lot of fun.


This is a typical view from the promenade along the Nile. Between the larger cruise ships that take people up and down the Nile are parked feluccas, sail boats, and smaller craft that ferry people all along the river bank. There are hotels and riverboat restaurants as the riverfront of Luxor is quite crowded.
Drawing from the corniche showing the tempe, the mosque of El-Hagag and a complimentary minaret or two from the present day.

Above is a contour sketch near the entrance of the main temple facing the first of the obelisks of Queen Hatsepshut.


The next drawing shows the two obelisks of Queen Hatsepshut and her father Thutmosis I as seen from the right or view from the sacred lake

The central part of the Temple of Karnak was built to celebrate the Feast of Opet - this was the second month of the season of the Nile floods. The reigning Pharaoh had to take part in the feast during the first year of his or her rule since i would confirm that they were indeed the sons and daughters of Amun-Ra.


Above is a drawing looking beyond the seventh pylon on the right side of the Temple of Karnak just in front of the south side of the sacred lake and not too far from the large scarab tourists fancy will bring them luck if the walk around it three times, whatever. There are ten such pylons - litteraly "pile-ons" or massive walls with drawings on them - and the reconstructions are imminent.


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