Waset

Waset was the name of the capital of Egypt during the time of its greatest power and glory. Made famous by the kings of the New Kingdom, especially the 18th and 19th dynasties, the city was a magnet for nationals from various other countries in Africa as well as Asia.

Waset is the city that was named Thebes by the Greeks and later Luxor by the Arabs, although its ancient name, Waset, was written extensively on the temples and tombs of Kernet. Called “the city of the hundred gates,” Waset embraced its splendor from its deep origins and came to full bloom in the New Kingdom as a city that had lasted for more than 1,000 years as the center of the world. The ruins of Waset form some of the most extensive wonders in the ancient world. Here was a city that was not as old as Men-nefer (Memphis) or as sacred as Abydos or On, but a city that had the good fortune to be host to the most powerful and glorious dynasties in world history, as well as home to the huge complex of temples known as Karnak.

The city of Waset sat on the eastern bank of the Nile River and stretched about 2 miles inland enclosing the temple of Karnak. Thirteen hundred [Page 704]years of building produced a city that had no rivals in ancient architectural majesty. By 1500 BC, Waset was a series of gigantic sanctuaries devoted to the gods Amen, Mut, and Khonsu.

There were several important aspects to Waset's splendor. In the first place, it was the seat of the largest temple complex in the ancient world. The famous temple dedicated to Amen projected the intellectual, political, and spiritual power of Waset and underscored the extent of Amen's cultural supremacy in its rise to glory.

Waset was the heartbeat of the Kemetic nation and its massive temple complex the center of the political and religious life of Egypt. All economic and political roads led to the palace of the king or to the domain of the priests at Waset. When a high official of the country wanted to bring a case to the court, it was to Waset that he came with his entourage. When the nation celebrated its national festivals, the bedecked officials sailed their boats to Waset and walked its sphinx-lined streets to honor the gods. No historical site in Egypt is as impressive in its magnitude and magnificence as Karnak in Waset. No humans ever built a temple complex, dedicated to religion, any more massive and stupendous than this architectural achievement. Karnak is actually three main temples, numerous smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located on about 300 acres (100 hectares). Of course, Karnak is really the site's modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning “The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places.” In time, many writers and visitors also referred to Waset by this name.

In addition to the tremendous religious site called Karnak, the city of Waset is the closest city to the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, where hundreds of nobles are buried. With the combined achievements in the burial valleys and the religious sites, the city of Waset is within 50 miles of nearly half of the world's ancient monuments, an achievement that staggers the imagination about this one city.

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