Karnak king list facts for kids

The Karnak King List is an ancient list of Egyptian kings carved into stone. It was found in the Festival Hall of Thutmose III, which is part of the huge Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor, Egypt. This list was made during the time of Thutmose III.

It originally showed the names of 61 kings, starting with Sneferu from ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. Today, only 39 of these names can still be read. One king's name on the list is not written inside a cartouche, which is a special oval border used for royal names.

This list is different from other king lists because it includes kings from the First and Second Intermediate periods of Egypt. Many other lists leave out these kings.

Discovery and Journey to France

Drawing of the list in 1843

The Karnak King List was first described by James Burton in 1825. Later, in 1843, a German team led by the Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius traveled to Karnak.

However, a French adventurer named Émile Prisse d'Avennes got there first. He secretly removed the stone blocks with the list from the wall at night. He then sent these important blocks to France. Even though it was badly damaged, the Karnak King List is now on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Understanding the List's Design

Drawing of the Karnak King List. The colored bits remain, the white are more or less lost.

The Karnak King List shows the names of pharaohs and the actual names carved on the stone. The list is split into three sections. It is read by starting from the sides and moving towards the center.

The Pharaohs on the List

Gallery

Detailed photos of the actual list in the Louvre

Related pages

• List of pharaohs
• Abydos King List
• Palermo Stone
• Turin King List

See also

In Spanish: Lista Real de Karnak para niños