Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple, from the east bank of the Nile
3400 years later, he still watches over the temple he built to his godsLuxor
Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of
the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes).
Known in the Egyptian language as ipet resyt, or "the southern harem", the
temple was dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was, during
the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue
of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple (ipet-isut) to stay
there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility – whence
its name.
The temple proper begins with the 24 metre (79 ft) high First Pylon, built by
Ramesses II. The pylon was decorated with scenes of Ramesses's military triumphs
(particularly the Battle of Kadesh); later pharaohs, particularly those of the
Nubian and Ethiopian dynasties, also recorded their victories there. This main
entrance to the temple complex was originally flanked by six colossal statues of
Ramesses – four seated, and two standing – but only two (both seated) have
survived. Modern visitors can also see a 25 metre (82 ft) tall pink granite
obelisk: this one of a matching pair until 1835, when the other one was taken to
Paris where it now stands in the centre of the Place de la Concorde.
Through the pylon gateway leads into a peristyle courtyard, also built by
Ramesses II. This area, and the pylon, were built at an oblique angle to the
rest of the temple, presumably to
accommodate the three pre-existing barque shrines located in the northwest
corner. It is atop the columns of this courtyard that the Abu Haggag mosque was
built: on the eastern side, a doorway leads surrealistically out into thin air
some 8 metres (26 ft) above the ground.
After the peristyle courtyard comes the processional colonnade built by
Amenhotep III – a 100 metre (328 ft) corridor lined by 14 papyrus-capital
columns. Friezes on the wall describe the stages in the Opet Festival, from
sacrifices at Karnak at the top left, through Ammon's arrival at Luxor at the
end of that wall, and concluding with his return on the opposite side. The
decorations were put in place by Tutankhamun: the boy pharaoh is depicted, but
his names have been replaced with those of Horemheb.
Beyond the colonnade is a peristyle courtyard, which also dates back to
Amenhotep's original construction. The best preserved columns are on the eastern
side, where some traces of original colour can be seen. The southern side of
this courtyard is made up of a 32-column hypostyle court that leads into the
inner sanctums of the temple.
These begin with a dark antechamber. Of particular interest here are the Roman
stuccoes than can still be seen atop the Egyptian carvings below; in Roman times
this area served as a chapel, where local Christians were offered a final
opportunity to renounce their faith and embrace the state religion. Moving
further in stands a Barque Shrine for use by Amun, built by Alexander, with the
final area being the private quarters of the gods and the Birth Shrine of
Amenhotep III (his divine origin is depicted in precise, almost touching detail
on the walls).
A cache of 26 New Kingdom statues was found under the floor in the inner sanctum
area in 1989 – hidden away by pious priests, presumably, at some moment of
internal upheaval or invasion. These splendid pieces are now on display at the
nearby Luxor Museum.
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