Karnak: Evolution of a Temple [Paperback]

Elizabeth Blyth (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415404878 | ISBN-13: 978-0415404877 | Publication Date: December 6, 2006 | Edition: New Ed

The first publication in English, this book fills a gap in the market and presents an in-depth examination of the significant temple site at Karnak. It is visited by thousands of tourists each year and is one of the most famous ancient temples in the world. Up until now there has been no single publication that covers the historical developments from its early shrine of an obscure local deity to the greatest state temple of ancient Egypt’s mighty empire. 

Karnak includes an array of illustrations, maps, plans and photographs and entails some of the most illustrious names associated with Ancient Egypt:-

• Hatshepsut
• Tuthmosis III
• Amenhotep III
• Akhenaten
• Tutankhamun
• Ramessess II.

Karnak delivers an outline of the entire history of Ancient Egypt and will prove to be a crucial guide for those involved in Egyptology, Archaeology and Ancient History.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This rich story is told in exemplary fashion, ably backed by maps, plans, and appropriate illustrations' - Minerva

'I cannot be too enthusiastic about this volume. Incorporating the latest research on the temple, the author provides a wealth of information that will enhance any visit to the temple... Do buy this book... if you have visited the temple and know it well, you will gain a better understanding of it, and if you are about to visit, the book will give you an excellent and comprehensive introduction to the complex and amazing site.' - Ancient Egypt

"A complement to the archaeological excavations that must necessarily focus on the careful and extremely detailed study of small areas, this overview of the entire temple, beside being interesting and important on its own, may also provide the basis for future studies on its general layout, distribution and internal organization." Corinna Rossi, Collegio di Milano

About the Author

Elizabeth Blyth, formerly of the Department of Egyptology, University College of London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; New Ed edition (December 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415404878
• ISBN-13: 978-0415404877
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for text, one star for lack of illustrations., July 13, 2011

By 

Susan E. Wood "Susan" (Rochester, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (Paperback)

This is a superb work of scholarship, and a must-read for everyone with a serious interest in Egyptian history or archaeology. The operative word, however, is "serious," because this is no accessible coffee-table book; it's densely packed with archaeological information, and although it's well written, it makes no concessions to the casual reader. You will need to hold the book in one hand, your computer mouse in the other, and keep Google Images or Flickr.com on the computer screen in front of you, because you won't find many illustrations in the book. Those few that you will find are skimpy black-and-white images. This is certainly not the author's fault; the publishers probably limited the number of illustrations that could be printed in order to keep the cost of the volume under control. A book fully illustrated with good color photos would probably cost -- shudder, don't ask. Still, reading it is worth the effort, even if you do have to Google the images yourself.

As Blyth states in her final sentence, the temple of Karnak encompasses all of Egyptian history within its boundaries, and that is not an exaggeration. In many respects, it was the cult of Amun-Ra at Karnak, established by Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom, that created Egypt as a nation-state in our sense of the word, with a unified national religion. Practically every king from then onward who lived long enough needed to put his mark on the sacred place, at least with valuable gifts, often by adding to the existing buildings with new halls, pylons, chapels, etc. etc. When we see the magnificent ruins of this structure nowadays, we can still forget that at one time it was vividly colorful. The columns were not only painted but often gilded and inlaid with precious stones, pennants flew from enormous masts over every pylon, and the whole complex was surrounded by gardens that supplied incense and food offerings for the cult. The illustrations may be skimpy, but the temple as Blyth recreates it is a feast for the mind's eye.