Luxor Temple

One of the great historical landmarks of Ancient Egypt, a temple that has been present in several generations of humanity and passed through several reigns.

Luxor temple egypt

Where is Luxor Temple located?

This temple is probably the biggest reason why Luxor is known as "the world's largest open-air museum". the Temple is located in the modern city of Luxor in southern Egypt, which is built on the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes.

The temple of Luxor is one of the best preserved ancient monuments in history, a large structure that includes a sanctuary and relief sculptures that are still intact. You can be sure that a visit to this temple will be one of the most impressive you'll make during your stay in Luxor and throughout Egypt.

Why was the temple built?

The temple of Luxor is dedicated to the Theban triad (King Amun, his wife Mut and his son Jonsu). The most important annual religious celebration of Thebes and Egypt was held there during the feast of Opet, in which the sepulchre-boats of the triad were carried in procession from the temple of Karnak to their abode, the Temple of Luxor. It was held during the second month of the annual flood of the Nile.
During this festival the temple, profusely decorated with bas-reliefs that can still be seen on its columns and walls, became the focal point of the festivities

The  temple Between the divine and the human

was also oriented to the veneration of the pharaohs, who had a divine origin. In this sense, to reaffirm their earthly power, a ritual to commemorate the divinity of the pharaoh was held in one of the rooms (the room of the divine birth). This ritual served another function: to convey to the people that the pharaoh would continue to watch over their prosperity. In this way, the temple had a double meaning: as a sign of respect to the divinity and as a symbol of the pharaoh's power.

Structure of the Temple

Its architectural structure is based on a large courtyard, a vestibule, the open hypostyle hall, the solar courtyard and the sanctuary, although later other elements were incorporated (chapels, room of the birth and some added in the time of Alexander the Great, as the room of the Boat). Its main entrance has a great pylon in which the military deeds of Ramses II are described. The obelisks that were next to the pylon were transferred to France after Napoleon's military campaign in Egypt. On the outside are preserved two granite statues and especially highlights the set of columns with capitals surrounding the courtyard.

Features About the Temple

Like the temple of Karnak, the temple of Luxor also had a wing dedicated to the gods Amun Ra, Mut (Amun's wife) and Khonsu. This wing was built by the pharaoh Hatshepsut. The Luxor temple was not originally built to worship any gods or as a mortuary complex, but it may have been used in ancient times for the coronation of kings in addition to celebrations and festivities.

The two temples together (Karnak and Luxor) add up to one of the most famous temple complexes in the city, and both are located on the east side of the Nile. In ancient times, the 3km-long Street of the Sphinxes connected the two sites, where religious celebrations took place, resulting in a procession with the statue of the god Amun Ra from the temple of Karnak to the temple of Luxor. This street is still being excavated today, but the part near Luxor Temple has already been restored.