Yildez wrote: Have a visual image of how the temple may have looked originally is really helpful in understanding what we see today.:
I am certain that in the past I have written on here about the Khonsu Temple and the rather strange, to say the least, Opet Temple within the Karnack Temple complex, that in the past has not been easily accessible to the average tourist. Both these have wonderful representations of a off beat image that one would not expect to see in such a place, especially The Opet.
I am sure most on here know that the average Egyptian in Upper Egypt have a fantastic sense of humour, sometimes childish, but also quite wicked at time, this was also the case in ancient times but very little has been written up about this. Most people on here will know of the ancient graffiti littered at various places on the West Bank, some rather crude especially around the Temple dedicated to Hatshepsut, but the main temples on the East Bank have many hidden examples of humour that would not go a miss in the modern day comic that is Private Eye.
Tourist often ask what did the pylons of the great Karnack Temple look like in those great days, the answer is simple, enter the Temple of Khonsu, turn to your immediate right, and there on the wall show an almost picture of a great pylon. The detail hieroghics tell you that the pharaoh has seen fit to have said pylon restored to its former glory, flagpoles, flags and all. The nearby Opet Temple is a treasure for 'hidden' graffiti.
One of the wonderful amusing items at Karnack, is a wall carving. Walk along the western side on the sacred lake, look along the wall and discover a representation on a man wearing a full length jellabiya with his hands raised to the heavens and almost dancing with joy in gratification of what, one might ask ? The answer is that this is to commemorate either the rebuilding or restoration of the High Priest of Amoun Ra's private home by the pharaoh. I am certain that the High Priest might have been rather pleased, but certainly not as much as the stone mason would want us to believe.
There are so many great treasures like this, especially at Karnack that sort of almost makes the place quite human really.
