Construction at Karnak began under Senusret I, who reigned from 1971 to 1926 BC, and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom, which ended in 30 BC. About thirty pharaohs contributed, and most of the surviving buildings date from the New Kingdom. The Precinct of Amun-Re is the largest of the four precincts. Its sandstone was carried from Gebel Silsila, 100 miles (161 km) south on the Nile.
The Great Hypostyle Hall covers 5,000 square meters (1.2 acres) and has 134 columns in 16 rows. Twelve columns are 69 feet (21 m) tall, and the other 122 are 33 feet (10 m) tall. The First Pylon, added by Nectanebo I, is 371 feet (113 m) long and 141 feet (43 m) high.
Hatshepsut raised twin obelisks at the entrance. One still stands, the second-tallest ancient obelisk on Earth. UNESCO listed Karnak in 1979 as part of Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis. Only the largest precinct is currently open to the public.
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