Karnak - Great Temple of Amun - Great Festival Temple of Tuthmosis III

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addition of small pillars and architraves, helped to support the roof of the central aisles. The reliefs on the pillars show Tuthmosis III in the presence of the gods. In the hall are a number of torsos of statues which were found here.

At the southwest corner of the hall is the chamber in which the "Tablet of Karnak" was found - a list of Egyptian rulers from the earliest times down to the 18th Dynasty, now in the Biblotheque Nationale in Paris. The chamber was probably used for storing the statues of earlier kings which were borne in procession by the priests. At the north end of the three central aisles are three chapels, in the most westerly of which is a colossal group of Tuthmosis III between Amun and Mut. From the northwest corner of the hall is an antechamber from which a doorway leads into a narrow corridor. On the north wall of the corridor are fine reliefs depicting Tuthmosis III offering incense to an ithyphallic Amun; the Kings pouring water over Amun, with priests and male and female singers coming in on the right; and the King pouring water on an altar and burning incense in the presence of Amun. From the northeast corner of the hall a staircase mounts within a tower like structure to a room containing an alabaster altar which may have served some astronomical purpose. The rooms on the east side of the hall are in a ruinous condition. To the northeast is a chamber with two pillars, adjoining which is a chapel (ruined) with a large granite altar. The central door in the east aisle leads to the three rooms which have preserved only the lower parts of their walls. On the north side, reached by steps, is a small room, known as the "Botanic Garden", the roof of which was borne on four well preserved paparys cluster columns with closed capitals; on the lower part of walls are representations of plants and animals brought from Syria to Egypt by Tuthmosis III in the 25th year of his reign. Steps to the south lead into the Sanctuary, adjoining which is the Alexander Room, built by Tuthmosis III, which in addition to a few reliefs dating from the reign of Tuthmosis contains inscriptions and reliefs in the name of Alexander the Great. Beyond this is a handsome hall which originally had 16 sided columns, seven of them still standing. To the east are rooms with two tiers of pillars and a corridor along the south side of the temple, off which opens two small pillared halls and seven rooms with reliefs of Turhmosis III.