This article is about the Karnak temple complex in Egypt. For the Neolithic menhir site, see Carnac. For the Johnny Carson character, see Carnac the Magnificent. For other uses, see Karnak (disambiguation).

Karnak

Shown within Egypt
Location	El-Karnak, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Region	Upper Egypt
Coordinates	25°43′7″N 32°39′31″ECoordinates: 25°43′7″N 32°39′31″E
Type	Sanctuary
Part of	Thebes
History
Builder	Senusret I
Periods	Middle Kingdom to Ptolemaic Kingdom
Official name	Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, vi
Designated	1979 (3rd session)
Reference no.	87
Region	Arab States

The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (/ˈkɑr.næk/^[1]), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex gives its name to the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern