Karnak Temple · How Many People It Takes to Ring a Column

Karnak is the largest temple complex of ancient Egypt. Halls and pylons were added by pharaoh after pharaoh, until it grew into a forest of stone. The hypostyle hall has more than a hundred columns, and the tallest take several people to encircle.

What it is best known for is the reliefs on the columns: a pharaoh gripping an enemy by the hair and raising a sceptre, the solar barque covering the walls, scarabs and rams lined up in two rows.

Around the winter solstice each year, sunlight travels along the main axis into the hall. Guides say that line was not drawn by them; it was there from the beginning.

Historical Mysteries / Luxor · Egypt / 2000 BC