Egyptian Travel: The Luxor Temple Complex

Luxor Temple is a large ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city of Luxor, in southern Egypt. It was built during the New Kingdom period, around 1400 BC, and was dedicated to the god Amun, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu.

The temple was buried for thousands of years. A mosque was built on top of the temple and was preserved during excavating and still remains at the temple's site. When we visited recently, the call to prayer was playing from speakers outside of the mosque.

We visited the temple at night which made the details of the obelisk and the size of the statues that much more striking. Bright lights were at the base of the temple and on each of the statues at the Avenue of the Sphinxes. One of the most amazing features of Luxor Temple is its massive entrance, known as the Great Colonnade. There is a 80-foot tall obelisk on the left side with very detailed hieroglyphs and Babi baboon statues at the base. There used to be another obelisk mirroring this one and it is now at the Place De La Concorde in Paris.

 

Inside the temple, there are large granite statues of Ramses II, several obelisks, and a series of beautifully decorated chapels. Luxor Temple remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Egypt today. Its impressive size and intricate decoration make it a must-see destination for anyone interested in ancient Egyptian history.