Amazing Sites to see at Luxor Temple
On the Eastern bank Of The Nile, in Luxor city, you can meet the Luxor temple. That is right Luxor city is the World’s Largest Outdoor Museum. It includes Two-thirds of the world’s monuments. The Arab called it Luxor as a result of the many temples with huge constructions that are like the palaces that mean Luxor in Arabic.
But the Luxor temple came in 1400 BC to be the largest and the most significant sightseeing among all these masterpieces. It is like the crown that adorns the ancient Egyptian civilization. Among its sides are secrets and narrations embodied in front of your eyes. As if events go back in the time machine to run again in front of you. One of these facts is a secret belonging to the builder of this huge temple to answer his right to rule ancient Egypt. Actually, it was the reason for establishing this majestic temple.
That is why Luxor Temple is a great mark that narrates more details about the ancient Egyptian civilization in Thebes, the Capital of Pharaonic Egypt, Luxor now.
This temple was “The place of the First Occasion.” It was the main place for one of the most important ancient Egyptian religious ceremonies when the statues of each of the gods Amun, his wife Mut, and their son, the moon god Khonsu, were transported from their temples in Karnak in a majestic procession to the Luxor temple.
So that they could visit the resident god there, Amun im Opet. It was known as the Feast of Opet. That is why Temple Luxor is just three kilometers to the south of Karnak Temple. But what is the hidden mystery behind it all!
The Strange Story That Was Behind Building the Luxor Temple Dates Back to (1390–1352 BC) During Amenhotep III Reign.
Amenhotep III ordered the establishment of this temple for the Triad of Thebes, Amun, Mut, and Khonsu for two reasons. The first is to confirm his attribution to the God Amun. Since his entitlement to the throne was not clear according to the Egyptian traditions. These lores stipulated that the pharaoh must be the son of a king.
The 14 columns of the The Colonnade of Amenhotep III – Luxor Temple
by Jorge Lascar
But, if it did not have a royal parentage, he could get his right to the throne by marrying the eldest daughter of the (former) king. One of the two conditions did not apply to Amenhotep III. His wife did not have royal roots too, but rather a woman from among the people.
That is why Amenhotep III thought to confirm his legitimacy for the throne by establishing his parentage to the god Amun. He decided that after consulting the priests of Amun” to record his holy birth on the walls of the famous room in the temple. It is the birth room. With this myth and this theory, Amenhotep III confirmed his right to the throne.
That was how Amenhotep III had pure royal blood in their veins because he became the son of God Amun directly. As a result of that this pharaoh who had not been of an Egyptian royal dynasty, became better than the previous kings of Egypt. with this myth and this theory, Amenhotep III confirmed his right to the throne.
The Court of Amonhotep III – Luxor Temple by Jorge Lascar
How Amenhotep III Convinced the Priests of Amun!
The second reason that encouraged Amenhotep III to build this temple is to satisfy the priests of Amun. He aimed to get their acceptance to be a legitimate king of Egypt. Despite the lack of clarity of his entitlement to the throne. And the priests of Amun were not able to refuse the attribution of Amenhotep III to the god Amun. Especially, he promised them to erect a large temple to announce the great Amun’s affairs.
When visiting Luxor Temple, you will see these decorations are clear. They seem like as they had been just drilled. All these vibrant inscriptions dug by the hands of the pharaoh Amenhotep III workers to revive the history that dates back to thousands of years in front of you. You will feel as if you are in the events.
How amazing you will feel when unlocking the secrets of these decorations with the accompaniment of our Egyptologist tour guide, and when you live as if you are at the event of the Feast of Opet! The complex is beautifully illuminated to highlight the relief carvings and the columns emblazoned.
In fact, when you visit the Luxor temple, put in your mind that the great open courtyard, the huge pylon, and the remarkable obelisks that are considered one of the most attractive monuments you will see were not built by Amenhotep III, but by Ramses II.
So, Luxor Temple is where you will be in the middle of a mix of pharaonic kings touches that dates back to thousands of years to touch your soul today.
Not only Amenhotep III who had left his marks on that great temple, but other pharaohs also whisper their secrets!
Amenhotep III was followed by Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC), then Horemheb (1323-1295 BC), and then the temple was finished by Rameses II (1279-13 BC). So, when you enter the Luxor Temple now, realize that this is the design that Rameses II had left.
Once you go into the Luxor temple, you will be in the middle of the pylon of the temple. Ramses II built it. It has a huge gate on either side of it. There are two large statues representing Ramses II while he was seated. Each reaches a height of 14 meters, and there is also a statue representing Ramses II while standing. You will find it on the far right of where you entered.
The remaining obelisk and the two 25m. statues of Ramses II – The entrance pylon – Luxor Temple by Jorge Lascar
You will find two great obelisks of pink granite stone. When you look in front of you, you will be amazed by the Sphinx Road. It dates back to the reign of King Nectanebo, one of the kings during the 30th Dynasty.
This road is leading to the Khonsu Temple, extending around 3 kilometers to the north, south of the Karnak temples. It is a road with statues of many sphinges on both sides.
Get To Know The More About The Ancient Egyptian Battels & Victories!
At the pylon of the temple, a lot of decorations on both towers narrate the details of the war battles Kadesh that Ramses II carried out against the Hittites in the fifth year of his reign. There, you will know what had the ancient armies seemed like and the weapons they used?
You can also see Ramses II with his military advisors on the right (western) wing of the pylon. You witness the victory in the middle. As the decorations represent the site or camp in which he defeated his enemies from the Hittites. While on the far right, you see the king while his chariot at the middle of the battle.
As for the decorations on the left (eastern) wing of the pylon, they represent Ramses II in his war chariot, throwing the Hittite enemies with a barrage of arrows and the ground covered with the dead and the wounded. As for the survivors, they flee terrified and leave Kadesh. In the far north, on this wing, there is a scene of Emir Kadesh, frightened in his carriage.
After living this war with Ramses II, you will find decorations representing King Ramses II in his different relations with the gods and goddesses. We mention among them the holy trinity of Thebes.
On either side of the entrance from the inside, there are inscriptions dating back to the era of the twenty-fifth Dynasty. These inscriptions representing King Shabaka in his different relationships from each of Amun, Amont, Mento, and Hathor.
Live With Ramses II and His Wife The Moments of Worship The Gods & Festivals That Date Back To Thousands Of Years
Behind the left-wing of the eastern pylon, there are many different beautiful views of King Ramses II, and his wife in the presence of the gods and goddesses, as well as they both, participate in celebrating the feast of God Min.
On both sides of the entrance leading to the great corridor that Amenhotep III built, there are two huge statues. These colossi representing Ramses II while he was on the throne and confirmed the unity between the two sides by linking the papyrus and lotus flower. The papyrus was the symbol of the north, and the lotus flower, the symbol of the south.
In the northwestern corner of the courtyard of Ramses II, there are the three holey shrines. Hatshepsut and Amenhotep III built these shrines. There are four graceful squinches that preceded these shrines in the form of a bundle of red granite stems. The capitals of these are papyrus.
The Courtyard of Ramses II – Luxor Temple by Jorge Lascar
When you go to the middle compartment, you will be in the part that dedicated to the god Amun Ra, and on the western side, you will be with his wife, the goddess Mut, and the eastern one belongs to the son of the god, Khonsu, the god of the moon. In each of the three shrines, you will meet the magic of the scenes that represent the firing of incense.
Welcome To The Luxor Temple In The Reign Of Amenhotep III
Following the courtyard of Ramses II is the remnants of the pylon. It represented the entrance to the temple during the reign of King Amenhotep III. After that, we reach the grand corridor, which consists of two rows of 32 papyrus bud columns.
On the walls of this corridor, you meet magic decorations representing the celebrations of the feast of “Abet” or “Opt.” They most probably date back to the reign of King Tutankhamun.
They depict the annual celebrations that took place in the Nile when Amun Ra, the god of Karnak, visited the Temple of Luxor, and the procession consists of boats of the Holy Trinity. You can get to know the Amun boat by the head of a ram that is in the front of the boat and in the back too.
You will find a hall where you find the sacrificial table and the sacred offerings. More than forty scenes are on its walls. These inscriptions representing King Amenhotep III and the sacrifices.
On the eastern wall, there are many scenes that represent king Amenhotep III as he releases incense, offers pots, boxes of colored clothes, and other offerings to Amun. In the western wall of the offering hall, we find an entrance that leads to a number of rooms. As we find another entrance in the middle of the southern walls. It reaches the room of the sacred boat to Amun. It is the cabin that Amenhotep III built.
You Finally Arrive at The Sacred Room of Divine Third
In the eastern wall of the hall of the sacred compound, we find an entrance. It leads to a side room with an entrance that leads to another room. The divine third room, which is recording that Amenhotep III has parentage to the god Amun. There you can find the inscriptions that representing the king as he releases incense, offers pots, boxes of colored clothes, and other offerings to Amun.
That is how history gives you a gift. It is the Temple of Luxor, where you feel that the pharaohs whisper their secrets.
Get To Know More about Luxor Temple Facts
Luxor Temple was known as Ipt-Rsyt, or the southern shrine, in order to differentiate between this temple and Karnak Temple, located at the northern house of Amon Ra. Luxor Temple had been located around three kilometers to the south of Karnak.
The Temple of Luxor was not built like most of the other ancient Egyptian temples on the east-west axis. But was directed towards Karnak to set the Feast of Opet.
It was established in the Eighteenth Dynasty (1550–1295 BC) since Amenhotep III is the ninth of the Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaohs.
Archeologists have differed in the meaning of the word “ab.” Most of them believe that the word “ab” means women. So that “abts” means southern women because the procession of the holy god travels on the Nile from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple, from north to south.
The Karnak Temple is the official palace of “Amun” for the ancient Egyptians. But When you visit the Temple of Luxor, and you see all this greatness, realize that Amun welcomes you in his private house. In which he lives with his wife.
Info You Need To Know about Luxor Temple Facts
The open hours for Luxor Temple are from >>
The entrance fee for Luxor Temple is 300 LE.
