Egypt Heritage: June 2015

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Karnak Temple Lower Egypt

Temple of Karnak complex in Luxor, Egypt (file)

Located on the east bank of the River Nile on the site of the ancient city of Thebes

Known to ancient Egyptians as Ipet-Sut ("the most select of places")

Covers more than 100 hectares (247 acres) and is one of the largest religious complexes in the world

Consists of the temples of the original local god Montu, and those of Amun, Mut and Khonsu, the Theban triad

Temple at Karnak may go back to the Old Kingdom (about 2613-2160 BC), but the earliest visible remains are of the Twelfth Dynasty (1938-1756 BC)

Complex contains a 30m (97ft) tall obelisk that weighs 323 tonnes

Second most visited tourist attraction in Egypt after the pyramids at Giza

Map showing location of Karnak temple in Luxor, Egypt

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Farouk (färōōk´), 1920–65, king of Egypt (1936–52), son and successor of Fuad I. After a short regency he acceded (1937) to the throne. A constitutional monarch, Farouk was frequently at odds with the Wafd, the largest Egyptian party. Because of his pro-Axis sympathies during World War II, the British imposed upon him a pro-British premier in 1942. General corruption, added to his defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, eventually led to the military coup of 1952, headed by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdal Nasser. Farouk was forced to abdicate; he fled the country and found refuge abroad.

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