Luxor Temple is the largest and most significant religious center in ancient Egypt. It was dedicated to the God Amun of the Theban Triad with Mut and Khonsu and was “the place of the First Occasion,” where the god Amon experienced a rebirth during the pharaoh’s annually reenacted coronation ceremony. The temple is also one of the most famous ancient Luxor tourist attractions. It is placed firmly on the tourist trail in Egypt, attracting many thousands of visitors each year. This Temple is one of six ancient temples in and around the city of Luxor in Upper Egypt, in the area that was once home to the ancient city of Thebes. It also might be the greatest testament to why Luxor has earned its nickname, “The World’s Largest Outdoor Museum”.
Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor city. It was built during Egypt’s New Kingdom and was known to the Egyptians as the Southern Sanctuary. Pharaoh Amenhotep III, one of the great builders of ancient Egypt, was responsible for starting the construction of the Luxor temple during the New Kingdom (1390-1352 BC) followed by Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC), then Horemheb (1323-1295 BC) and then finished by Rameses II (1279-13 BC) who made many additions to the temple.
The Temple is also located around three kilometers to the south of Karnak Temple, to which it was once linked with a processional way bordered by an avenue of sphinxes. This avenue is currently under excavation, but the section nearest to the Luxor Temple has already been restored. The Temple was constructed of sandstone blocks from Nubia. It is surrounded by mud-brick walls, which symbolize the separation between the world and the sacred realm of the gods.
Alike other temples in Egypt, this enormous temple contains a peristyle courtyard dating back to Amenhotep, which holds the best-preserved columns on the eastern side, while the southern side is made up of 32 columns that lead to the inner sanctum, which was used as a chapel during the Roman times. The temple also has several pylons. The first pylon is more than 70 feet high and was raised by Ramses II. It was decorated with reliefs of his military exploits, including the Battle of Kadesh. The pylon was originally fronted by six colossal statues of Ramses II, four seated and two standing, but only two of the seated figures and one standing remain.
Beyond lies the Great Court of Ramses II, surrounded by a double row of columns with lotus-bud capitals, the walls of which were decorated with scenes of the pharaoh making offerings to the gods. On the south wall is a procession of 17 sons of Ramses II with their names and titles. In the northwestern corner of the court, the earlier triple-bark shrine was built by Hatshepsut and usurped by her stepson Tuthmosis III for Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. There is also a Hypostyle Hall, which was the first room of the Opet temple, and a surviving granite obelisk that is about 25 meters high, but only one remains in place; the other has been at the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1835–1836.
Visit early when the temple opens, before the crowds arrive, or later at sunset when the stones glow. Whenever you go, be sure to return at night when the temple is lit up, creating an eerie spectacle as shadow and light play off the reliefs and colonnades. Be sure to return to the Luxor Temple at night to witness a light and sound show.
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