The Temple of Luxor is a large temple complex of ancient Egypt located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city now known as Luxor and was built in about 1400 BC. In the Egyptian language, it is known as ipet resyt, “the sanctuary of the south”.
Luxor Temple Features
Where is the Temple of Luxor located?
The Temple of Luxor is located in the center of the city of Luxor. Exactly where it was for hundreds of years the pharaonic capital, Thebes.
Who built the Temple of Luxor?
Largely built by the pharaohs Amenhotep III (1380-1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279-1213 BC). However, it continued to be refurbished and enlarged until the Ptolemaic era.
Why was the temple built?
The temple of Luxor is dedicated to the Theban triad (King Amun, his wife Mut, and his son Junsu). The most important annual religious celebration of Thebes and Egypt was held there on the feast of Opet, in which the sepulcher-boats of the triad were taken in procession from the temple of Karnak to their abode, the Temple of Luxor.
Interesting facts about the Temple of Luxor
It is a monument that is shocked by its elegance, in the middle of a modern city. It can be visited during the day, perhaps in the middle of the afternoon, but you should not fail to return at night when the temple is illuminated and creates a great spectacle with its lights and shadows that play with the reliefs and columns.
The temple, also known as the southern sanctuary, was largely rebuilt for the annual Opet festivities. Amenhotep III greatly expanded an ancient shrine built by Hatshepsut. Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Alexander the Great, and several Roman rulers incorporated additions.
The Romans built a military fort around the temple that the Arabs would later call Al Uqsur (the fortifications), which would give its name to modern Luxor.
In ancient times the temple must have been surrounded by a maze of adobe houses, stores, and workshops that now lie above the modern city, but after the decline of the city, people moved into the temple complex, by then partially covered, and built their city inside.
In the 14th century, a mosque was built in one of the inner courtyards of the temple for the sheik (holy father) Abu- al Haggag. With the excavations begun in 1885, the centuries-old settlement and debris have been removed to expose the part of the temple that is visible, but the mosque is still there.
The ceremony of the feast of Opet reaffirmed the authority of the pharaoh and his close ties with Amun, “King of the gods”. After all, he was the incarnation of the god Horus on earth. Today, during the maulid (feast of a saint) of Abu al-Haggag, one of the highlights of this three-day festival is a procession in which a faluza is dragged through the city and around the temple, a remnant of the ancient feast of Opet.
You can’t miss the adventure of visiting the Temple of Luxor and the surrounding complex on a tour with Vamos Viajando and a professional English-speaking guide. In addition to the city of Luxor. It will surely be an experience you will never forget.
