The site of the Karnak Temples is an open natural museum of Ancient Egyptian history. It contains a mixture of the different architectural styles built by the kings who ruled the country from the Twelfth Dynasty until Greco-Roman times. Therefore, Karnak impresses the visitor with its magnificent buildings that cover a surface of more than 60 acres.

The site was called "Pr-Imn", which means the "House of Amun". Then the name was changed to "Ipt-iswt", which means "the most sacred of chosen places".