Karnak summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Karnak.

Karnak, Village, Upper Egypt. Its name has been given to the northern part of the ruins of Thebes on the Nile River’s eastern bank (the southern part is called Luxor). Among its many religious buildings stood the largest of all Egyptian temples, the Temple of Amon. Itself a complex of temples, added to and altered many times, it reflects the fluctuating fortunes of the Egyptian empire. There are no fewer than 10 pylons, separated by courts and halls. The most striking feature is the vast hypostyle hall commissioned by Ramses I (r. 1292–90 bc), with an area of some 54,000 sq ft (5,000 sq m). Twelve enormous columns, some 80 ft (24 m) high, raised the roofing slabs of the central aisle to produce a clerestory. Karnak is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site (designated 1979) centred on Thebes.

ancient Egyptian religion Summary

Ancient Egyptian religion, indigenous beliefs of ancient Egypt from predynastic times (4th millennium bce) to the disappearance of the traditional culture in the first centuries ce. For historical background and detailed dates, see Egypt, history of. Egyptian religious beliefs and practices were

Nile River Summary

Nile River, the longest river in the world, called the father of African rivers. It rises south of the Equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. It has a length of about 4,132 miles (6,650 kilometres) and drains an area estimated at 1,293,000

World Heritage site Summary

World Heritage site, any of various areas or objects inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural

Africa Summary

Africa, the second largest continent (after Asia), covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth. The continent is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and on the south by the mingling waters