The Temple of Karnak, located 3 kilometers north of Luxor, is undoubtedly the most gigantic site of Pharaonic Egypt. Dating back 4,700 years, and begun during the New Kingdom, it remains the largest religious structure ever built in the world. Karnak was not just a temple, but a real religious complex; a city of several thousand people. At its height, the temple was actually reserved only for clergy, laymen were not permitted to enter.