Displaced cryosphinxes in the first court of Amon, Karnak, Egypt

"Sheshonq (Shoshenq) I enlarged the Amun temple at Karnak by adding a huge festival court in front of the Ramesside pylon. Virtually following Ramesside architectural tradition, the court was flanked on both sides by colonnades and enclosed the ramesside festival arena with the bark stations of Sethos II and Ramesses III. Between the temple of Ramesses III and the second pylon, room was available for a side entrance, the so-called Bubastide Gate. The first court encloses an area originally outside the temple proper and so contains a number of cryosphinxes (ram-headed sphinxes) displaced from their positions along the processional route starting from the ancient quay." [Arnold D., 1999: Temples of the Last Pharaohs. Oxford University Press]. "A village on East bank of the Nile in Upper Egypt; with Luxor, Karnak is on the site of ancient Thebes; location of temple of Amen, considered one of the finest examples of early New Kingdom religious architecture; also has many Middle Kingdom remains." [The J.P.Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographic Names]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.