The Great Temples of Ancient Egypt

Karnak, Luxor, Abu Simbel and the sanctuaries that line the Nile

Egypt’s temples were built to outlast their builders, and most of them have. This section collects the ones worth planning a journey around: the forest of columns at Karnak, the avenue of sphinxes at Luxor Temple, the rock-cut colossi of Abu Simbel in the far south, and Philae, rebuilt stone by stone on its island near Aswan.

The finest of them stand on the riverbank, which is why most travellers reach them by water — Kom Ombo and Edfu are moored-up stops on almost every Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan. On the west bank, Hatshepsut’s terraced temple sits within sight of the Valley of the Kings.