Karnac shrine

15 hours from Kansai airport via Doha, we arrived at Luxor air port at noon (7 hours difference between Japan and Egypt ). We got into tour bus from air port and start sightseeing. An Egyptian guide added our tour without Japanese tour conductor from Japan . His name is Mr. Tarric, he said “Call me as Tar-chan”. “chan” is title as friendly in Japan . Usually it is used to child and young woman.  When it uses about adult man, they are friends since childhood or in deep friendship. Japanese woman feel herself is young when she is called with “first name-chan”, usually she feel glad. He can speak Japanese well and he knew Japanese vital point for entertain. He said he had studied in Japanese university in Kyoto .

<Karnac shrain>

We walked out to under the strong sunlight of June in first sightseeing place: Karnac Shrine. Tar-chan put on large cloth on his head and leads us to under the tree. And he said “Heatstroke attack you suddenly, usually it is too late when you feel your heatstroke. Please search shade and keep you in shade.”  This is his first guide.     

We were wearing long sleeve jacket for mountaineering with against ultraviolet ray. But some foreign traveler wearing T-shirts and in short pants, so our looking was felt exaggeratedly fusion.

Karnac shrine is collapsing in many places.  Many cranes were restoring it.

In outer garden, there is a statue of scarab. Tar-chan said “Walk around this scarab three times, you will get happiness”.  All Japanese walk around this statue, and foreign traveler took pictures us. I feel now, that is fiction by Tar-chan, “Three times” is must strange. “Three times” is looked in many Japanese religion ceremonies. For instance, we clap our hands three times to player at Japanese shrine and invoke our happiness to God.


<Outer garden of Karnac>

<Obelisk>		 The tower of our back is obelisk. They say when it was built, obelisk head was covered with gold.  The head refract sunlight and it can look from far place, and golden refraction made nice view on blue sky, I think.

The statue of Amen (= Ra ) god is standing.  This statue is Amen god, but model is Amenhetep 2nd. And little statue at legs is his wife. This means Pharaoh is same as God .  

<Statue of Amen>

There are many statues of sheep in entrance of Karnac shrine. Over there of this picture is river Nile .  Opposite of river, there are same statues, worshippers aboard to ship and arrival at here Karnac shrine.

Before, there are many building between Karnac shrine and river Nile, but recently Egypt government destroyed buildings. And its view back to ancient view.  When I head that, I felt Egypt is tourist country.



<Sheeps statues>