Tuesday 16 October 2012

Day 12


We were all so shattered after yesterday's travelling that it was a lazy morning for all, catching up with emails etc. The afternoon saw us taking a short walk from our hotel along the Corniche to the massive temple at Karnak.

This I found just as awe inspiring as last time nearly 20 years ago. It is difficult to get your head around the scale, both in years and size. It is said that every pharaoh for some 2000 years added (or changed) something at Karnak, and - at least according to Lonely Planet - you could fit both St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London into the hypostyle hall alone. (only 134 massive columns). We had an excellent guided tour and then just wandered around individually trying to take it all in. I have included some shots including the hieroglyph numbering system so you can try it out for yourselves (possibly with the help of google!)

In the evening, we went back for more - the Sound and Light. Unlike others, I think where you always sit in one place, here you walk through the site as the voices and the stirring music boom out of the darkness. The lighting seems to make the place even more atmospheric than during the day. I strongly suspect that the whole thing was the same as last time, but still worth seeing / hearing again - I suspect the photos will in no way do justice.

All in all, rather boring day

1 comment:

  1. Bryan, you may be suffering from antiquities overload. How can viewing an awe inspiring millennia old temple be boring? Or we're you being ironic. Just think what it will be like on day 135!

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