Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple (Luxor Amon Temple) proves the glorious past of Luxor. It was built by Amenhotep III, the 19th pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt (reigned from 1398 to 1361 BC), to worship the sun god Amon, his consort, and their son, the moon god. In the late 18th Dynasty, it was expanded by Ramses II, forming the scale that remains today. The Avenue of Sphinxes leads worshippers from the banks of the Nile to the forecourt built by Nectanebo I. From here, an avenue lined with hundreds of sphinx statues stretches northeast. In ancient times, this avenue connected Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple, 2.5 kilometers away. As of 2004, modern Luxor city buildings still stood on this avenue, but the city government had begun to clear it. During the time of Nectanebo I, trees and flowers were planted between the sphinx statues.