Botanical garden of Thutmosis III

Welcome to a truly unique corner of the sprawling Karnak Temple complex: the Botanical Garden of Thutmosis III. Tucked away behind the Great Festival Hall at the eastern end of the complex, this small room is a remarkable…

Before we reach the Botanical Garden itself, we must pass through the Great Festival Hall of Thutmosis III, known as the 'Akh-Menu' or 'The Most Splendid of Monuments'. This hall is unique in Egyptian architecture for its…

As we enter the small chamber of the Botanical Garden, the walls immediately tell a story of exploration. Thutmosis III conducted seventeen military campaigns, expanding Egypt's borders to their greatest extent. …

It wasn't just plants that caught the Pharaoh's eye. The Botanical Garden also features a variety of animals and birds that were either brought back or observed during the campaigns. …

While the garden celebrates the natural world, it is grounded in the reality of military power. Near this area, a famous black granite victory stela was discovered, which is now one of the most important historical documents of…

Like much of Karnak, the Botanical Garden and the surrounding Festival Hall underwent changes after the Pharaonic era. During the Roman Coptic period, when Christians were persecuted, they often sought refuge within the ancient…

Standing near the eastern end of the complex, we can see the grand obelisks that Thutmosis III and his family erected. One of these obelisks, originally at Karnak, now stands in the Hippodrome in Istanbul, a reminder of how the…

As we leave the Botanical Garden of Thutmosis III, we take with us a rare perspective on the ancient world. We have moved beyond the typical narratives of Pharaohs as distant gods and seen Thutmosis as an explorer and a…