Adventures on the Nile: Seeking Immortality



The pharaoh was not simply the king of Egypt - he or she was a god incarnate, mediating between the heavens and the Earth. When the kings of the New Kingdom abandoned the pyramids and moved their tombs to the secluded Valley of the Kings, they needed another way to be worshipped and remembered by the masses. The pharaohs therefore put an exorbitant amount of effort and funds into the creation of great monuments to the gods and themselves.

Each pharaoh took immense care in making his or her mark on temples like Karnak. The first temple was built at the site around 2000 BC and over the next two thousand years, with each pharaoh adding something to the complex, it grew into one of the most extensive places of worship in the world. In size, Karnak is second only to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.


My favorite part of the temple is the Hypostyle Hall, a gigantic room filled with 134 columns, 69 feet high, each elaborately carved and painted to depict the various kings who added them. There is so much to explore here, one cannot get through it all in one day, but we thoroughly enjoyed our tour and are eager to go back one day!

Travel Tip
Anywhere you travel, you want to be a smart tourist. Along with securing your belongings and always keeping them close, you also want to stay with your group while taking a tour. This may seem like an obvious tip, but when we were in Karnak, exploring on our own with some free time, we were approached by a gentleman who urged us to go with him. We hesitated but figured there were a lot of people around so we went just around the corner with him. He simply wanted to show us a great photo spot - but then he insisted on taking our photo for us and then getting a tip for it. The photo turned out fine, but we didn't think it was worth the hassle. 

 Throughout our trip, we never felt unsafe, but when we were exploring on our own, we were followed by people wanting to ask where we were from, offering to take photos for us, and trying to sell us souvenirs. So the easiest thing to do is simply stick with your local guide and give them a firm "no, thank you" when you are approached.

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