Of Luxor’s many monuments, the Temple Complex of Karnak has to be its most astonishing and beautiful feat.

Within its precincts are the Great Temple of Amun, the Temple of Khons, and the Festival Temple of Tuthmosis III, as well as surrounding minor temples and sanctuaries.

The complex is not built to a single unified plan. Instead, it represents the building activity of many successive rulers, who vied with one another in adding to and adorning this great national sanctuary, which became the most important of Egypt’s temples during the New Kingdom.

All the monuments here are built on a gigantic scale, reducing visitors to ant-like proportions as they gaze up at mighty columns and colossal statuary.

Even if you’re short on time, don’t scrimp on your visit here. You need at least three hours to try and make sense of the entire complex.

You can easily walk to Karnak from downtown along the Nile-side Corniche road, although due to the heat most people take a taxi.

If you’re short on time, plenty of tours are offered that whip you around the highlights of Karnak. A private tour of Luxor East Bank, Karnak, and the Luxor temples is a good option. This half-day tour visits these ancient sites with an Egyptologist.

Address: Maabad al-Karnak Street, East Bank, Luxor