Luxor Egypt – Part 2 埃及卢克索 – 下集 1/2016 (5)

19/1/2016. Not many things are still standing after more than 3,000 years. Here in Luxor, sure, some are headless, without an arm and a leg, dismembered, disfigured, others in tatters, even pulverized. Notwithstanding the odd missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, the ancient stories remain intact.

The first stop today was the Temple of Kanak. There was no joss stick, no chant; no worshippers bowed in obeisance, nor anyone prostrated in reverence. Statues of kings, of the gods, more than 3000 years old, stood before me, like immortals, looking down at me a mere mortal. Ancient mud-brick walls and gates that could barely put up resistance were nevertheless still erect. The big columns continued to prop up even after the roofs had caved in. The obelisks still reached for the sky. On the walls and columns, the drawings, the reliefs, the inscriptions, and the hieroglyphics all clamored to tell their stories. All around was still and peaceful, even the blue sky was undisturbed by any trace of shifting clouds. Everything was conspiring to keep it at a standstill. That’s the magic.

19/1/2016 三四千年无情岁月还傲然屹立实不多见。在卢克索，好像遍地都是骄人的历史痕迹。虽有些无头，断臂，面目全非，肢纷节解，但古老故事，以这些铁证，代代相传。

今天第一站先到卡纳克神庙。没香火，没诵经，没人跪拜，一切那么的寂静。古神无神又神气，城门城墙脆弱又坚韧不催，粗壮支柱丢了楼顶，还顶天立地，方尖碑不能撼动，直戳高空；浮雕，壁画，象形文字，都在发声讲述那千年壮史。古老神圣场景，没风吹草动，天空甚至不容一丝白云飘逸。古人已去，痕迹犹存，我置身古今中外，目不暇接，看得傻眼。

Pillars and obelisk in Karnak Temple 卡纳克神庙的大石柱和方尖碑

Massive columns of Karnak Temple 卡纳克神庙大石柱 — Pillars and obelisk in Karnak Temple 卡纳克神庙的大石柱和方尖碑

Ram-headed sphinxes line the entrance to the Karnak Temple 卡纳克神庙入口迎宾两排羊头狮身像

Karnak Temple, Hypostyle Hall 卡纳克大列柱室 — Ram-headed sphinxes line the entrance to the Karnak Temple 卡纳克神庙入口迎宾两排羊头狮身像

After seeing the Karnak temple complex, I headed to Luxor Temple. I continued to walk in the corridor of Egyptian history. I was again caught in this time warp I could not wake up from. This was another outdoor museum, another great display of its ancient civilization, left in the sun to tell its own story in its most original habitat. It may have the same color tone as the Karnak Temple, but a different flavor and narrative. Before its towering stature, I felt diminutive, its seniority, my respect.

Egypt of today has moved on from its past, yet its past remains. The temples are no longer in use. They have different beliefs now. Still, this is their rich history, set in stone.

看了卡纳克神庙后到不远的卢克索神庙，到此已晕头转向，眼花缭乱。这又是一个露天博物馆，色调跟卢克索神庙差不多，但各有身世，在最原始的四周展示和讲述自己的过往；高龄和气势使人敬仰也使人生畏。

今日的埃及已不同往日，他们有不同信仰。但这是他们的历史，灿烂辉煌，永不磨灭。千年文明，迈步至今，能目睹这埃及的故事，也是人类的故事，很奇幻，死无憾。