Who began the construction of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak?

Who began the construction of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak?

• A. Thothmes I
• B. Anthemius
• C. Bernini
• D. Agrippa

Answer: (A)

The Great Hypostyle Hall’s construction began during the reign of Seti I, in the late 13th century BCE, as part of a major expansion of the Karnak temple to exalt the god Amun. Seti I laid out the vast plan and started the monumental forest of columns that defines the hall, with his successor Ramesses II continuing and completing the project. Thutmose I comes from an earlier period and is not associated with starting this hall, and the other names come from entirely different civilizations and eras, so they don’t fit the context of an Egyptian New Kingdom temple project.

The Great Hypostyle Hall’s construction began during the reign of Seti I, in the late 13th century BCE, as part of a major expansion of the Karnak temple to exalt the god Amun. Seti I laid out the vast plan and started the monumental forest of columns that defines the hall, with his successor Ramesses II continuing and completing the project. Thutmose I comes from an earlier period and is not associated with starting this hall, and the other names come from entirely different civilizations and eras, so they don’t fit the context of an Egyptian New Kingdom temple project.