Overview:
The Luxor Temple is one of the most important temples in Ancient Egypt and is located in Luxor or the former Thebes. The temple was dedicated to the triad of Thebes: Amon, Moet and Khonsu. The temple is approximately 242 meters long, making it one of the largest in Egypt.
History of the temple
The temple was founded by Amenhotep III, who built the temple on the remains of the temple of his daughter Hatshepsut. Construction of the temple began during the reign of Amenhotep III in the fourteenth century BC. Horemheb and Tutankhamun added columns and statues, but the greatest expansion took place with Ramses II about 100 years after the beginning of the works. Luxor is the only one of the major Egyptian temple complexes that bears traces of rulers only on architectural structures
Restoration interventions were undertaken by Alexander the Great and the Emperor Tiberius. During the period of Arab domination, the complex was abandoned, until the Abu el Haggag Mosque was built there in the 13th century, overlooking the courtyard of the columns and an Arab village was established in the whole complex.
Description
The 1st Pylon
The access to the temple was from the north. At the end of the avenue stands the large portal, 24 meters high, built by Ramses II.
, The access door to the inner area was closed appropriately and took the form of a semicircular recess in front of the altar. Later on, a narrow corridor was opened allowing access to the so-called "exhibition room".
The walls of the church are covered with decorations depicting the king in the presence of the Egyptian gods. In particular of the Trinity. In the first picture, Alexander the Great, accompanied by Horus, is depicted as Ra Hurachti, distinguished by the presence of the sun disk above his head. Horus holds him in one hand, while in the other hand he presents the ankh, the symbol of the divine nature. The scene takes place in the presence of Amon, who led him in front of him.
In a side room, the allegorical cycle of the birth of Amenhotep III and his divine origin is depicted. According to tradition, the god Amun, who assumes the appearance of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, joined his wife Mutaimoya. From the union was born the pharaoh Amenhotep III.
The pylon was decorated with scenes of the sovereign's military triumphs against the Hittites (especially the Battle of Qadesh).
The main entrance to the temple complex was originally flanked by six colossal statues of Ramses, four seated (two remain) and two standing. Of the two granite obelisks in front of the portal, one is still in place, while the other is located in Paris on the Place de la Concorde. It was donated to France in 1830 by the Mohamed Ali Pasha. Actually the gift included both obelisks, but only one was removed.
The Great Courtyard of Ramses II
The portal leads to the colonnaded courtyard which was built obliquely with respect to the area behind it.the sacred boats of the Theban triad formed by the gods Amon, Mut and Khonsu were kept in the pre-existing tripartite chapel which is located against the back of the 1st pylon. The chapel of the Theban Triad was the work of Tutmose III even if it was later restored by Ramses II.
The colonnade is sometimes interrupted by statues representing Ramses II, among which we note in particular two huge statues of the sovereign placed at the beginning of the colonnade of Amenofi III.The bases of both statues are decorated with designs celebrating the unification of Egypt. The god Hapy is in fact represented in the act of uniting Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, each symbolized by a lotus flower and a papyrus flower while they are linked to each other.
The colonnade and courtyard of Amenhotep III
After the courtyard, across the tower of Amenhotep III, a 100-meter-long corridor flanked by 14 columns whose capitals are in the shape of papyrus enters. The decorations were made by order of Tutankhamun, but his name was replaced by the name Haremheb. On the walls there are the stages of the sacred boat procession of Amun, during the annual Opet Festival. Instead, other motifs celebrate the victory of religious faith after the heresy of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
The gallery leads into the large courtyard, dating from the original building of Amenhotep III where the main opet ceremony with sacred boats was held. Then they were brought inside the structure. The columns on the east side still retain traces of the original color. The south side of the courtyard is occupied by a colonnade of 32 columns, which gives access to the sanctuary of the temple.
Chapel for quartet worship
The Holy Sanctuary area consists of a waiting room, which in the Quaternary era was transformed into a place of worship for the Roman emperors, and it was decorated with frescoes that covered the previous decorations without destroying them.
, The access door to the inner area was closed appropriately and took the form of a semicircular recess in front of the altar. Later on, a narrow corridor was opened allowing access to the so-called "exhibition room".
The sarcophagus of Alexander the Great
Inside the sanctuary, perhaps in the Ptolemaic period, Hellenistic kings built the sarcophagus dedicated to Alexander the Great in which there was a copy of his sacred boat intended as a funeral boat.
The walls of the church are covered with decorations depicting the king in the presence of the Egyptian gods. In particular of the Trinity. In the first picture, Alexander the Great, accompanied by Horus, is depicted as Ra Hurachti, distinguished by the presence of the sun disk above his head. Horus holds him in one hand, while in the other hand he presents the ankh, the symbol of the divine nature. The scene takes place in the presence of Amon, who led him in front of him.
Sanctuary of Amun
The Sanctuary of Amun is located in the deepest part of the temple and was the place where the statue of Amun was kept. This was the final destination of the sacred boat from the great temple of Amun, and here the god regenerated.
In a side room, the allegorical cycle of the birth of Amenhotep III and his divine origin is depicted. According to tradition, the god Amun, who assumes the appearance of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, joined his wife Mutaimoya. From the union was born the pharaoh Amenhotep III.
Statues Luxor
In 1989, 26 statues of the New Kingdom were found under the floor of the inner sanctuary, and they are now visible in the nearby Luxor Museum.
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