Luxor, Egypt
Egyptian archaeological museum
In the north-west corner of the Amun precinct at Karnak, off to the left just before the Second Pylon, is an open-air museum that most visitors walk past, even though it holds some of the finest carving in Egypt. As each pharaoh enlarged Karnak, older buildings were taken apart and their blocks used as fill inside new pylons; archaeologists have recovered those blocks and rebuilt the shrines here. The star is the White Chapel of Senusret I, a small Middle Kingdom kiosk in white limestone whose reliefs look freshly cut. Next to it stand Hatshepsut's Red Chapel, in red quartzite and black granite, and the alabaster chapel of Amenhotep I. Around them are rows of statues, false doors, baboon figures and carved blocks laid out in the sun. It is calm, well laid out, and shows how Karnak was built up layer on layer over two thousand years.
It needs its own ticket, sold at the main Karnak ticket office, so decide before you go in. Forty-five minutes is enough, and it makes a good break when the Hypostyle Hall is crowded. Get close to the White Chapel's reliefs; morning light shows them best. The ground is mostly level.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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AttractionLuxor, Egypt
