El-Karnak is a small village in Egypt, located on the banks of the River Nile some 2.5 km north of Luxor. Visitors to the area - particularly foreign tourists - perceive no distinction between Luxor and el-Karnak, as the two are both parts of the same conurbation.
KARNAK TEMPLE
Karnak Temple is the leading attraction in el-Karnak. Essentially this is el-Karnak. The very term Karnak is nearly universally understood as the temple complex and not the village. It is twice the size of the built-up village area.
It is a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world, and is probably the second most visited ancient site in Egypt, second only to the Pyramids of Giza near Cairo.
It consists of four main parts, of which only one is accessible for tourists and the general public. This is also the "main" temple part and by far the largest part. This is the Precinct of Amon-Re. One can probably on that basis redefine the term Karnak, as to be understood as the Precinct of Amon-Re only, as this is the only part most visitors normally see. The three other parts are closed.
In addition there are also a few smaller temples and sanctuaries located outside the enclosing walls of the four main parts, as well as several avenues of ram-headed sphinxes connecting the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amon-Re and Luxor Temple.
The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Construction work began in the 16th century BC.
Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and diversity not seen elsewhere. Few of the individual features of Karnak are unique, but the size and number of features is overwhelming.
PRECENT OF AMON-RE
The Precinct of Amun-Re, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the four main enclosed areas that make up the immense Karnak Temple Complex. The precinct is by far the largest of these and the only one that is open to the general public. The temple complex is dedicated to the principal god of the Theban Triad, Amun.
The site occupies roughly 250 000 m2 and is so large, and contains so many structures and monuments, that it is advisable to obtain some information before visiting the site, in order not to be overwhelmed and exhausted by its size and complexity.
Some parts of the complex are closed or semi-closed, partially large parts of the North/South Axis (VIII, IX, and X Pylon), as they are under active excavation or restoration. The whole southeast corner is semi-closed. The Northwest corner is a museum that requires an additional ticket to visit.
Most of the Southwest is an open-air-assembling area with millions of stone fragments, from small to huge, laid out in long rows, awaiting reassembly into their respective monuments. The area is not closed, as the temples of Khons and Opet both lay in this corner and are open to the public, though both are rarely visited considering the immense number of tourists coming to Karnak. Also in this area can be found the housing of the Akhenaten Temple Project (by Pennsylvania State University), a sealed up long building, which contains all the remains found of the dismantled Temple of Amenhotep IV, (Akhenaten).
PRECENT OF MONTU
Precinct of Montu, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the four main enclosed areas that make up the immense Karnak Temple Complex. It is dedicated to the Egyptian god Montu, the child of Amun and Mut. The area covers about 20.000 m2. Most monuments are purely preserved.
Main features are the Temple of Montu, Temple of Harpre, Temple of Maat, a sacred lake and the Gateway of Ptolemy III Euergates I / Ptolemy IV Philopator, which is the most visible structure on the site and can be easy seen from inside the Precinct of Amon-Re. This gateway is also called Bab el'Adb.
PRECENT OF MUT
Precinct of Mut, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the four main enclosed areas that make up the immense Karnak Temple Complex. It is dedicated to the Egyptian god Mut, the mother-god. Mut means mother.
The Precinct of Mut is not open to the public or tourists. Since 1976, when the Egyptian government granted the Brooklyn Museum exploration rights to the entire site, it has been in a state of ongoing excavation / restoration, and presumably it will be a while before that changes. The Detroit Institute of Arts is also associated with this dig.
The site occupies some 150.000 m2.
Its main features are the crescent-shaped lake, temple of Ramesses III, temple of Mut and temple of Khonspekhrod. To that comes a number of smaller buildings and shrines, as well as the temple of Nectanebo II, bark station of Thutmose III / Hatshepsut and Sanctuary of Amun-Kamutef, located just outside the enclosing wall.
From the main entrance an approximately 400m long avenue of ram-headed sphinxes leads north, directly to the tenth pylon of the Precinct of Amen-Re. This avenue is itself under restoration. Another avenue of sphinxes, also starting from the entrance, leads 250m west to catch up and flow into the 3km long avenue of sphinxes that connects the Gateway of Ptolemy III Euergetes I of the Precinct of Amen-Re with Luxor Temple.
TEMPLE OF AMENHOTEP
The Temple of Amenhotep IV at Karnak was constructed during the first 4 years of the reign of Akhenaten, when he was still referred to Amenhotep IV.
It was constructed outside the boundaries of the Precinct of Amon-Re, to the east. The main temple was named Gempaaten, which means "The Sun Disc is Found in the Estate of the God Aten". The others were named Hut benben / "The Mansion of the Benben Stone", Rud-menu / "Sturdy are the Monuments of the Sun Disc Forever", and Teni-menu / "Exalted are the Monuments of the Sun Disc Forever".
The Gempaaten appears to have no roof and its offering tables were exposed to direct sunlight. In this building (or associated with it) were red granite and sandstone statues of Akhenaten, red granite offering tables and other statues, including a sphinx enscribed with the name of the Aten.
Very little of these buildings remains, they were built quickly, using Talatat blocks, and could therefore easily be demolished and reused as core for later structures.
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KARNAK TEMPLE
KARNAK TEMPLE
It is a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world, and is probably the second most visited ancient site in Egypt, second only to the 
