The Area surrounding the Karnak Temple in Egypt is referred to as Ipet-isut or the 'most selected of places'. It was the main worship area among the Egyptians of the old.
It is seen to be especiallyreveredduring the reign ofthe 18th dynasty of Theban Triad. The god Amun was worshiped here and the Egyptians saw it as another version of the historical city of Thebes.
Now in this revered surrounding, Senusret I erected to build a conurbation of worship places. This construction continued to the Ptolemaic period. The Karnak Temple is one of these buildings and is made up of several parts including;
1. Precinct of Amun-Re - This was the abode of Amun-Re, the chief deity in the Theban Triad. It is made of huge statues made of sandstone, some towering as high as 29 meters. Note that the sandstone used to construct these colossal structures was sourced from Gebel Silsila, about 100 miles, on the banks of River Nile.
2. The Precinct of Mut - This was the abode of the mother goddess, Mut. Egyptologists refer to her as the wife of Amun. This precinct has smaller temples as well as a sacred lake and 600 black granite statues. Unfortunately, this part is not open to public.
3. The Precinct of Montu - This was dedicated to Montu, the son of Amun-Re and Mut. He was the war god. His abode is smaller and it also not open to public.
4. Temple of Amenhotep IV - When Amenhotep IV became the ruler of Egypt, he sought to overrun the priesthood in the temple. This is why when he died, his abode was completely destroyed. Although it is not visible, Egyptologists reckon it was there.
Whenever in Egypt on holiday, make sure that the Temple of Karnak is part of your itinerary. It is one of the few places remaining that preserve ancient religious practices.
