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How did the design of Karnak’s hypostyle hall control light inside the building?

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Ancient Egyptian illustration from the Book of the Dead showing Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, with gods seated above and hieroglyphic text throughout. — Egyptian art and architecture Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c. 1275 bce.

The hypostyle hall at the Temple of Amon in Karnak utilized a sophisticated architectural design to illuminate its vast, otherwise windowless interior.

The hall featured a central nave supported by twelve enormous columns that stood significantly higher than the surrounding rows of pillars. By elevating the central roofing slabs above the level of the rest of the hall, the architects created a clerestory—a wall section featuring pierced stone slabs. This design allowed natural light and air to enter the building through the openings in the clerestory, effectively lighting the interior space from above.12