EGYPT TRAVEL: AVENUE OF SPHINXES
Posted by Steve Collins on
Luxor is located about 450 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile River, and is home to some of the most spectacular temples and tombs in all of Egypt. Karnak Temple and the Temple of Luxor are two amazing structures of pillars and facades that still stand after thousands of years.
During the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (3500 years ago!) construction began on a 1.5 mile road lined with sphinxes to connect the two temples The path was used once a year during the Opet festival. During this parade, Egyptians carried statues of Amun and Mut to symbolize the re-enactment of their marriage.
Over the centuries, the road mostly disappeared, except for a few hundred yards outside of the Luxor temple. In recent years, the famed "Avenue of the Sphinxes" has been re-built to connect these two great temples again.
Today, hundreds of statues remain on both sides of the pathway. Many have been restored and most of them have all of their features. One interesting detail is that some of the sphinxes have the traditional human heads and some have rams heads. Next time you travel to Egypt, we highly recommend you visit the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple, particularly at night, when the Avenue of the Sphinxes is illuminated.
