Luxor Temple

Description

Even though Luxor Temple was expended several times throughout the ages, it’s much more compact and coherent than Karnak, perhaps because its core was built by just one pharaoh, Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC). The walls are decorated with some of the finest carvings in Egypt, protected because much of the temple was buried until 1885. Before excavations, only the heads of the Ramses II (1279-1213 BC) colossi and the tips of the obelisks stuck out above the pile of debris on which Luxor village was built. The village was removed bit by bit as the excavations started, but when it came to destroying the tomb and mosque of Luxor’s patron saint, Abu al Haggag, the people refused. As a result, the pretty mosque now perches awkwardly on top of the excavated temple.

The Avenue of Sphinxes leads to the monumental First Pylon built by Ramses II, which was once fronted by two obelisks and six colossi of the man himself. One obelisk and two of the statues were taken to France in the 19th century, but the remaining ones are still very impressive. The pylon is decorated, as so many other Egyptian temples, with Ramses II’s favorite story, the Battle of Qadesh. Beyond the pylon, the large Court of Ramses II is surrounded by two rows of Papyrus-bud columns, interspersed with more statues of the king.

To the left of the court, the Mosque of Abu el Haggag hangs over the temple, while to the right is the barque shrine that was used for the three statues that came from Karnak during the annual Opet festival. Also of interest on this side are reliefs of the temple itself and of a funerary procession led by Ramses II’s sons. Beyond the Second Pylon the impressive Processional Colonnade of Amenhotep III, with huge papyrus columns, was the model for the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. The carvings on the walls were added by Tutankhamun and give a picture of the Opet celebrations: one wall shows the outward journey, the other the return of the procession.

At the end of the colonnade is perhaps the temple’s most impressive part, the Great Sun Court, also built by Amenhotep III, its fine decorations developed over the millennium between the reigns of Amenhotep and Alexander the Great. Unfortunately this court has suffered badly from the rising water level and a major restoration project is underway. A large cache of statues unearthed here in 1989 can now be seen in Luxor Museum.

Behind a columned portico, used as a chapel by Roman soldiers, lies the temple’s inner sanctuary, with Alexander the Great’s Sanctuary of Amun’s Barge and Amenhotep III’s Birth Room, which has images of the king’s divine conception and birth, and his nurturing by goddesses. The bedrock on which this part of the temple was built was believed to be the site where Amun was born.

Top Tips

 -It’s best to explore Luxor Temple early in the day, and return at night when floodlights added to the mysterious atmosphere and accentuate the fine carvings.