Luxor Temple, Luxor

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Dating from the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (New Kingdom - 15th century BC), the Avenue of the Sphinxes once connected the Temple of Luxor with the temple complex at Karnak, traversing a distance of nearly 3kms. It is estimated that 700 sphinxes lined the avenue, but only small sections north of the Temple of Luxor and south of Karnak are preserved. The sphinxes as we see them date from the time of Nectanebo I (4th century BC), who remodelled the heads after his own portrait. The Avenue was used in a religious procession during the Opet Festival when sacred barques containing the deities were carried from Karnak to Luxor. However, prior to the construction of the Avenue, a canal was in its place and the deities instead sailed on these sacred barques during the festival procession. When the canal was later filled in, the tradition of transporting the deities on boats continued, except carried by men, instead of floating on water.

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As you leave the train station and head down the main street towards the Nile River, the first thing that will catch your eyes is the mighty columns of the Luxor Temple rising into the sky. With the Nile River and Valley of the Kings as a backdrop Luxor Temple sums up exactly what Egyptian dreams are made of. From the moment you enter through the gates guarded by two massive Egyptian sculptures that tower over you like Gods, you will feel like you have gone back in time. There is much to see in the temple, from the towering ancient columns to the very detailed hieroglyphs that are etched into the walls of the temple. Its best to go early as the tour groups start arriving at around 9:00 and it gets crowded. For those of you taking the overnight train from Cairo that arrives around 6:00 in the morning, visiting the Luxor Temple should be your first stop as it opens early (7:00) on most days and you will be able to appreciate it in peace. From the train station is about a 15 to 20 minutes walk directly down the main street in front of the station. There are plenty of cabs to take you there as well...do not pay more then 10 to 15 pounds for the ride.

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Luxor Temple in it's central location facing the Nile was founded in 390 BC by Amenophis III, but work was halted on it by his son Akhenaten, then resumed by Tutanhkamun and Horemheb. Ramses II also added sections too during his reign. It was known as the "Harem of the South" due to fertility festivals being held there, resulting in much debauchery!
It's nice to visit Luxor Temple at dusk to see it both in daylight and at night when it is lit up. It costs 50LE as of Nov. 2008 for adults, with concessions for students and children. There is a charge of 20LE to take camera tripods in too. The temple is open Oct-Apr 6am-9pm and May- Sep from 6am-10pm.
At the entrance, flanked by 2 colossi of Ramses II, you will first see the great pylon. Beyond here is the Court of Ramses II with the remains of a Roman Fort to the right. From here a Colonnade takes you to the Court of Amenophis III and on to the Hypostyle Hall.
The is also the Avenue of Sphinxes opposite the entrance pylon which is worth seeing.

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Very nice. Huge. Just inside the temple there is evidence of how the ancient Egyptians built the Temple and clues us into how they may have built the pyramids. Very interesting. Also, there is information within the heiroglyphs that depict the struggles the Egyptians had with various other people. Inside, there is a heiroglyph that has been scratched out and replaced with the name of Caesar within a cartouche. In that time, only kings and queens could have their names written inside cartouches because it implied their royalty. Caesar wanted to assert his power by doing this.

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The Central Chamber of Amun leads into the most sacred parts of the Temple of Luxor. Consisting of several small chapels and chambers, this area is collectively referred to as the Temple of Amun. On either side of the Central Chamber are the chapels of Mut and Khonsu. Beyond is the four-column Offering Chapel, with wall decorations of offerings. Next to it is the Birth Room of Amenhotep III showing scenes of his conception and birth as a child of the gods. Further into the temple is the Barque Shrine, rebuilt by Alexander the Great, who is portrayed in the reliefs as a Pharaoh. The last section and the most sacred of all is the Sanctuary of Amenhotep III, where the statue of Amun made its final stop at the end of the Opet Festival.

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By the 3rd century AD, as its importance declined under the Romans, the Temple of Luxor was converted into a castrum (Roman fort) to defend the Empire's southern frontier (Limes Romanus) near Aswan. Fortified walls were constructed around the Temple using some of its own stones, including one of the Colossi of Ramses II (!), while the inner temple was converted into a sanctuary to the glory of Rome. Parts of the Roman wall are now exposed and partially restored (see attached photo). Interestingly, the word castrum probably has the same origin as the Arabic word qasr (palace or castle) from which the name Luxor or al-Uqsur, was derived.

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Located by the Nile in the heart of modern Luxor, the Temple of Luxor is one of Ancient Egypt's most impressive temples. Although an older shrine existed on the site at least since the time of Queen Hatchepsut (~1460 BC), the Temple of Luxor was founded around 1380-1350 BC by the 18th Dynasty ruler Amenhotep III (also referred to as Amenophis III) and dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The Temple, named Ipet-resyt in Ancient Egypt, was greatly expanded by the 19th Dynasty Pharaoh, Ramses II. Some additions followed by later rulers, such as Alexander the Great, and continued until the Temple was converted into a fort by the Romans in the 3rd century AD. Over the years, the Temple was forgotten and became buried under silt and sand, and a small village developed on top of the ruins. It was not until the 19th century AD that the Temple of Luxor was discovered and the whole village was relocated for the excavations to occur. Only the 11th century AD Mosque of Abu el Haggag was preserved, now hanging over the ruins of the Temple. Most striking, though, is the very existence of this incredible temple, along with the mosque atop it, in the middle of the ordinary daily life of the inhabitants of Luxor.

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Added by Ramses II (19th Dynasty) around 1270-1250 BC, the First Pylon speaks to the grandeur of the reign of the Pharaoh. The imposing structure is carved with sunken reliefs - now somewhat difficult to discern - describing the Pharaoh's successes in the famous Battle of Qadesh in Syria against the Hittites. The much reproduced image of Ramses II, with a bow and arrow riding a horse-drawn chariot, is depicted on the façade, along with masses of losing Hittite enemy warriors. In addition to the two obelisks placed in front, six colossal statues of the Pharaoh (four seated and two standing) guarded the First Pylon. Only one of the standing statues remains in place, while two seated colossi continue to flank the grand entrance to this day.