The Open Air Museum at Karnak

by Jimmy Dunn

The Open Air Museum is located across from the Great Court, opposite to the entrance to Ramesses III's temple in the Temple of Amun.. It is accessed to the left of the first courtyard just before the Second Pylon at Karnak in modern Luxor (ancient Thebes) It has a collection of monuments that were discovered elsewhere at Karnak, particularly inside the Second and Third Pylons.

We can find blocks from the beautiful Red Chapel of Hatshepsut, which have only recently been reconstructed into an actual structure. That Chapel served as a shrine for the baroque of Amun.

We can also see the remains of the splendid White Chapel of Senwosret I, the oldest monument at Karnak. The scenes carved on the stones show the king offering to his mighty god Amun- Re and Amun in his ithyphallic form. The ancient administrative areas of Egypt are listed in the form of columns on the parapet. The entire region of Egypt is represented on the chapel of the Pharaoh who is the guarantor of the order established by Amun.

The Alabaster Chapel of Amenhotep I is located north of the museum. It is considered the oldest shrine for the Barque. Inside, the king is shown presenting offerings to the sacred barque.

See Also:

• A feature Story on the Karnak Open Air Museum

• The Approach to the First Pylon (Western)

• The First Courtyard in the Temple of Amun, Karnak

• The Open Air Museum

• The Great Hypostyle Hall

  Part One, An Overview and the Exterior Walls

  Part Two: The Columns

  The Interior Walls

• The Obelisk Courtyard (Between the Third and Fourth Pylons)

• The Hypostyle Court of the Temple Proper

• The Colonnade of Tuthmosis I and the Vestibule and Antechamber of Tuthmosis III Between the Fifth and Sixth Pylons

• The Peristyle Court of Tuthmosis III, The Naos of Philip Arrhidaeu and the Sanctuary of Hateshpsut Beyond the Sixth Pylon

• The Central Courtyard and the Festival Hall of Tuthmosis III

• The Temple of the "Hearing Ear", The Eastern Temple of Ramesses II,the Colonnade of Taharka and the Gate of Nectanebo Iat Temple of Amun at Karnak

• The Courtyard of the Cachette

  The Courtyard of the Cachette, Part I

  The Courtyard of the Cachette, Part IIThe Courtyard Between the Seventh and Eighth Southern Pylons

• The Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Pylons and the Courtyards Between them The Osirian Temple of Taharqa at KarnakThe Sacred Lake and the Scarab

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