The story of Karnak temple is linked to that of Thebes, which did not gain much importance before the seventh century. The original temple was built as a simple one devoted solely to The goddess Earth. This was a mere facility for offering cerebration to the Mother Goddess, but its dedication continued throughout the centuries, even when other important temples of the land came up in many places. It was during the twelfth century that the Karnak temple first gained importance and a great religious significance. The Pharaonic dynasty, under the successors of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra, built the Karnak temple.
135 The architectural style of the Karnak temple is characterized by the use of Hypostyle Hall, a kind of main hall that has three levels, a central hall, a cylinder-like nave and two upper stories. This was later adopted by the Romans, who turned it into a grandiose temple, dedicated to the Mother Goddess. At first the Karnak temple served as a place of worship for the people of Karnak, but later the devotees of the Mother Goddess moved to their khajuraho (temple) in Urdu Qadis (sacred granary). Even in the time of Mughals, when architecture of this type was not in vogue, the devotees used the Hypostyle Hall of Karnak to celebrate various ceremonies, including marriages, birthdays and other significant events. But the place was again refashioned as a temple dedicated to the Mother Goddess in the fourth century AD by the Buddhist monk Ajatsatru. He started using the Hypostyle Hall for his yoga classes, even though it was already refashioned for this purpose by the Sri Lanka Buddhist monk Ajit Subramanayo. Some of the devotees of Ajatsatru considered the Karnak temple, to be a holy place, dedicated to all the beings of nature.
The present day Karnak temple is built in the traditional architectural style of the Mughal period, using columns, arches, domes and naves typical of Persian, Arabic and Indian architectural styles. The construction of the temple has undergone several changes throughout its existence. For example, in the early years the temple was built using a version of the Parthian style of architecture. Later on a new version of the architectural style was crafted, based on the Qalii architectural style of Iran. The change in the style occurred mainly due to political reasons, when the successors of the Mughal kings decided to renovate the temple in their own styles, rather than using the more generic architectural plans drawn up by the Bahai.
The Karnak temple is also home to many sculptures, mostly portraying the aspects of good versus evil, heaven versus hell and human life versus the Endless Wheel. A major attraction for tourists visiting the city is the Karnak museum, which houses a large collection of jewelry, paintings and various artifacts from the Mughal period. The museum was built as part of the efforts to rehabilitate the heritage of the Mughal empire and is one of the best-known museums in India.
Travelers planning a holiday to Egypt can make the most of the holiday by visiting the Karnak temple complex, which is Egypt's biggest tourist attraction. The temples at the site are built in the same traditional Mughal style, and the hotels that are situated around the area to cater to the needs of both locals and tourists. To make the most of the visit to Egypt, one should be armed with information about the place and take along a good camera. This is because the bustling sights that mark the sites of the Mughal capital, as well as those of the Taj Mahal, are often too much for the average tourist to bear. However, with the right preparations, one can hope to get an insight into the rich history and culture of the place through these monuments.
