The temple complex of Karnak beats every other pharaonic monument but the Pyramids of Giza. Built on a leviathan scale to house the gods, it includes three separate temple enclosures, the grandest being the Precinct of Amun, dedicated to the supreme god of the New Kingdom - a structure large enough to accommodate ten great cathedrals, that is 18 times the size of the Parthenon.

Karnak's magnitude and complexity owes to 1300 years of aggrandisement. From its XII Dynasty core, Amun's temple expanded along two axis - towards the river and the Temple of Mut - while its enclosure wall approached the Precinct of Mont. Though Pharaoh Akhenaten denied Amun, defaced his images and erected an Aten Temple at Karnak, the status quo was soon restored at the behest of Amun's priesthood.

At the height of its supremacy Karnak's wealth was staggering. A list of its assets in the reign of Ramses III includes 65 villages; 433 gardens; 421,662 head of cattle; 2395 square kilometres of fields; 46 building sites; 83 ships; and 81,322 workers and slaves.

The site of Karnak covers over 100 acres, 2.5km north of central Luxor. The only part readily accessible is the Precinct of Amun (open daily winter 6am-5.30pm, summer 6am-6.30pm; ŁE20), which hosts nightly Sound and Light shows. This alone covers 62 acres, requiring at least a couple of hours for a lookover, 3 or 4 hours for a closer examination.

The Sound and Light show (ŁE66 tickets sold on the spot). The first half consists of a four-stop tour through the temple, ineffably grander when gloomy and spotlit. Although the second half - when you view the ruins from a grandstand beyond the Sacred Lake - drags on too long, the whole experience is unforgettable. There are 3 or 4 shows each night, at least one is in English.