Luxor Temple with Gorneaus

Welcome to Luxor Temple

After getting up at 3:30AM to catch the cab to the airport for the 5:30 flight, they are still smiling.

After paying 75LE (14$) for a terrible cup of coffee at the airport, they are still smiling.

After walking to the Temple in 104 degree heat with stickie flies attacking, they are still smiling.

After being "harassed" by taxi drivers and horse drawn wagon dudes, they are still smiling.



The avenue of the Sphinx is under construction to reconnect to Karnak Temple.

This Avenue of Sphinx is an imposing avenue of about 2 kms or 1.2 miles south of the Karnak Temple and bordered on both sides by the majestic sphinxes. It is believed that in the ancient times, the avenue extended over a length of 3km length and the number of Sphinxes present there was about two thousand.

The Avenue of Sphinx was erected at first by Amenhotep III . At present the sphinxes that line the avenue have the body of a lion with the head of Nectanebo I who ruled from 380-363 B.C.E. Nectanebo I replaced the former ram-headed sphinxes with his own head. The sphinxes that are being placed back on the avenue have the head of Nectanebo I near Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple and the head of the ram in the middle sections.

The Avenue of Sphinx was dedicated to the Theben tercet of Amen, Mut and Khonsu.

Not much breeze today but the palms did offer a wee bit of shade.


Many festivals were celebrated in Thebes. The Temple of Luxor was the center of the most important one, the festival of Opet. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, it appears that the temple's purpose was for a suitable setting for the rituals of the festival. The festival itself was to reconcile the human aspect of the ruler with the divine office. During the 18th Dynasty the festival lasted eleven days, but had grown to twenty-seven days by the reign of Ramesses III in the 20th Dynasty.


The Ankh (key of life) is defined as: The symbolic representation of both Physical and Eternal life. It is known as the original cross, which is a powerful symbol that was first created by Africans in Ancient Egypt.

It is also a symbol for the power to give and sustain life, the Ankh is typically associated with material things such as water, air, sun, as well as with the Gods, who are frequently pictured carrying an Ankh. The Egyptian king is often associated with the Ankh also, either in possession of an Ankh (providing life to his people) or being given an Ankh (or stream of Ankhs) by the Gods.

It is usually worn as an amulet to extent the life of living and placed on the mummy to energize the resurrected spirit. The Gods and the Kings are often shown carrying the Ankh to distinguish them from mere mortals. The Ankh symbolized eternal life and bestowed immortality on anyone who possessed it.

The loop of the Ankh is held by the Gods. It is associated with Isis and Osiris in the Early Dynastic Period. The Loop of the Anhk also represent the feminine discipline, while the elongated section represent the masculine discipline.

The great court is surrounded with well proportioned papyrus bud capital columns. Reliefs cover the interior walls. Within the court can be seen the tip of the minaret of the mosque of Abu'l Haggag.




On the face of the great pylon are carved episodes from the Battle of Kadesh, when Ramesses and his army defeated the forces of the Hittites and their allies. The obelisk is one of a red granite pair which Ramesses erected in front of the pylon; its twin now in the Place de la Concorde, in Paris. On the pedestal are carved the four sacred baboons who were the first to greet the morning sun. Three lines of vertical inscription on every face of the obelisk repeat the names and titles of Ramesses the Great: The Horus, Mighty Bull, Exalter of Thebes, Favorite of the Two Goddesses, establishing monuments in Luxor for his father Amun, who placed him upon the throne; Golden Horus, seeking excellent things for him who fashioned him; King of Upper and Lower Egyp.