KARNAK

karnak, a village in upper egypt (pop. 1907, 12,585), which has given its name to the northern half of the ruins of thebes on the east bank of the nile, the southern being known as luxor (q.v.). the karnak ruins comprise three great enclosures built of crude brick. the northernmost and smallest of these contained a temple of the god mont, built by amenophis iii., and restored by rameses ii. and the ptolemies. except a well-preserved gateway dating from the reign of ptolemy euergetes i., little more than the plan of the foundations is traceable. its axis, the line of which is continued beyond the enclosure wall by an avenue of sphinxes, pointed down-stream (n.e.). the southern enclosure contained a temple of the goddess mut, also built by amenophis iii., and almost as ruinous as the last, but on a much larger scale. at the back is the sacred lake in the shape of a horse-shoe. the axis of the temple runs approximately northward, and is continued by a great avenue of rams to the southern pylons of the central enclosure. this last is of vast dimensions, forming approximately a square of 1500 ft., and it contains the greatest of all known temples, the karnak temple of ammon (see