Karnak

Karnak is the largest ancient religious site in the world. The complex of temples is near Luxor on the Nile in Egypt. Luxor is some 500 km south of Cairo. About thirty pharaohs contributed to the buildings. The site reached a size, complexity, and diversity not seen elsewhere.

The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—is a vast group of ruined temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. The largest and most important are the Great Temple of Amun, and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II (ca. 1391–1351 BC).

An ancient sacred lake is part of the site as well. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ('The Most Selected of Places'). It was the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty, part of the monumental city of Thebes.