Founded
perhaps as early as the reign of Ahmose,
but begun certainly by the time of Hatshepsut,
Luxor Temple was constructed primarily
during the reigns of Amenhotep III and
Ramesses II (all during the New Kingdom,
ca. 1500-1200 BC). Other kings, including
Tutankhamun, Horemheb, and Alexander the
Great, also added decoration or minor structures
to this gem-like temple. It is approached
by an avenue of human-headed sphinxes,
which link it to the Karnak complex some
3 km away. The entrance pylon, built and
decorated by Ramesses II, was once graced
by two obelisks (one of which is still
in situ and the other of which is now in
Paris) and six colossal royal statues.
Dedicated
to the ka of the Egyptian king, and to
a special form of Amun as a fertility
god, this temple was the focus of the
Opet Festival. During this great annual
celebration
of royal renewal, statues of the royal
family and divine images of the Theban
triad were brought in procession from
their principal homes in Karnak Temple.
In the
11th century AD, a mosque (Abu el-Haggag),
still in use today, was built on top of
the temple.
HOURS OF
OPERATION:
Open daily. Summer: 6 AM - 10 PM
Winter: 6 AM - 9 PM
TICKET COST:
Egyptian: 2 LE
Foreign: 40 LE
Tripod: 20 LE
50% reduction for bearers of International Student ID Card
LOCATION:
Center of Luxor
DIRECTIONS:
BY PLANE: Luxor has an international airport
serviced by EgyptAir and many other airlines.
BY
BUS: Buses run regularly from Cairo to
Luxor.
BY
TAXI: From within Luxor, ask for maabd
el uqsor. |
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The entrance
to the temple through the pylon
of Ramesses II (Julie Patenaude) |
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The first
courtyard of the temple, with colossal
statues of Ramesses II (Julie
Patenaude) |
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