Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple stands majestically in the heart of the modern town of Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile, a grand temple built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. Approached by an avenue of sphinxes, it is fronted by colossal seated statues, a towering obelisk and a great colonnade of columns, and it is at its most magical floodlit after dark, part of the UNESCO monuments of ancient Thebes.

History

Luxor Temple, known in Egyptian as ipet resyt, the southern sanctuary, was built around 1400 BC in Nubian sandstone from Gebel el-Silsila and, unlike the other temples of Thebes, was dedicated not to a god or a deified king but to the rejuvenation of kingship; many pharaohs may have been crowned here, in fact or in idea, and Alexander the Great claimed to have been, though he may never have travelled south of Memphis. Amenhotep III built the chapels at the rear, and Tutankhamun, Ramesses II and Alexander added other parts. Of the two obelisks that flanked the entrance, of unequal height but set to look the same, the smaller now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris (Wikipedia, Luxor Temple).

What's there

• The colonnade - the grand processional colonnade of columns.
• The colossal statues - the giant seated figures of Ramesses at the entrance.
• The obelisk - the towering pink granite obelisk before the pylon.
• The avenue of sphinxes - the sphinx-lined road linking it to Karnak.

When to go

October to April for cooler weather; go after dark, when the temple is beautifully floodlit and the air is cooler, one of the loveliest sights in Egypt. It stands in the town centre, so it is easy to reach.

Practical notes

It is smaller and more contained than Karnak, seen in a couple of hours, and the two are easily confused; both are worth it. It is central and easy to reach. The floodlit evening visit is the most atmospheric, avoiding the daytime heat.

Nearby

Karnak is linked by the avenue of sphinxes; the Nile, the museum and the west-bank tombs are close.

Key facts