Temple of Karnak, Luxor > Reviews > A true wonder of the ancient world!

Author's product rating:   

Prices	Good
Is it worth visiting?	Excellent
Transport links	Excellent
Family Friendly	Excelllent

Advantages:	Largest place of worship in the world,  awe inspiring
Disadvantages:	Will get hassled, some bits not as good as others

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Egypt its self is an amazing place, with an amazing culture and sights to take the breath from even the most experienced traveller; from the splendid artwork adorning the tombes of the pharos to the sheer might of the pyramids in cairo. Not to mention the hustle and bustle of the back street local markets or the experience of an invite to the house of a local to "meet the family" and share a traditional egyptian meal with them. Karnak temple though must be one of the best sights in Egypt and a must see for anyone with even a slight interest in the ancient history of this spectacular place.
Having heard little about the temple before i arrived i was not sure what to expect, i knew that it was big but nothing really prepares you for the actuall scale untill you see it, and even at the main enterance the real scale is still not really aparent.
The temple itself is not actually one temple but an amalgamation of a number of temples built over around a thousand years by roughly 30 different pharos, the scale and complexity arising as each pharo attempted to outdo the last to show there power. To give an idea of the scale the temple is roughly twice the size of the surrounding village area, and due to this is a day out in its self, and even with a whole day its impossible to see every area and admire every piece of artwork painstakingly carved onto every surface, Karnak will literally blow you away and to imagine the place in its former glory baffles the mind.
In terms of specific things to see there isnt essentially, no matter where you go there will be things of interest and often if you wander off the beaten track a little you will find things that the average tourist will miss. There are afew things to look out for however like the pillar room containing about 116 pillars of a size you cant imagine without seeing, and the massive ampetheater. The obelisks dodded around the compound are excellently carved and still retain much of their former beauty, also look out for the carved rams at the start of the path leading back to Luxor (2.5km) as these are quite impressive, especially if you bear in mind there were thousands of these lining the path in ancient times. For great hiroglyphs and carvings look any where, almost every square inch of the temple is covered in them, though a few have been defaced.
If your planning a trip go early as it will take a while to see it all and bear in mind it will be hot with not much shade, especially if you have kids. Dont pay to much for your transport either so make sure you haggle, a kalesh ride is a good way to soak up the local sights on the way, taxis are good but avoid if you dont like fast drivers. Also watch out for locals offering to "show you someting" as this will almost always be uninteresting and cost you money.
I would recomend Karnak to anyone, it truly is a place everyone should see in there lifetime, so if your planning a trip to Egypt deffinatly put Karnak on your list and enjoy this magical place like so many others have for thousands of years.