The Legendary Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is located in the heart of Luxor's urban center, adjacent to a mosque and a bustling square where locals gather for picnics, children play, and pigeons are fed. The lively atmosphere is filled with constant chatter and movement, creating a vibrant scene. To avoid the risk of choosing a disappointing restaurant, the McDonald's across from Luxor Temple became our safe backup option. Plus, its second-floor windows offer an excellent view directly facing the temple, providing a unique vantage point. Luxor Temple was constructed during the 18th and 19th dynasties of ancient Egypt, primarily by two pharaohs: Amenhotep III and Ramses II, both of whom were frequent contributors to the temple's architecture. The temple's main entrance is the Avenue of Sphinxes, which connects Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple. During annual festivals, people would carry golden boats from Karnak Temple along this avenue to Luxor Temple, celebrating the Nile's floodwaters that brought fertility to the fields. Statues of the gods would also join the procession, allowing worshippers to pay homage and offer prayers. The first pylon was built by Ramses II, and unsurprisingly, this narcissistic statue enthusiast placed his colossal figures in front of it. The walls behind them, as usual, depict his military conquests and heroic achievements. Little did he know that these imposing statues, meant to showcase his power and authority, would be eroded by wind and sand over millennia, buried in dust, and even become perches for birds. The towering obelisk standing at the entrance was meticulously carved from a single block of granite to commemorate Ramses II's 30th year of reign. Obelisks were traditionally erected in pairs, and the matching counterpart to this one now stands in Paris's Place de la Concorde. In 1836, the Egyptian ruler gifted it to King Louis Philippe of France as a diplomatic gesture, receiving a clock in return—now housed in Cairo's Saladin Citadel. Beyond the first pylon lies the Courtyard of Ramses II, flanked by two rows of columns. On the opposite wall, Ramses II placed his own colossal statue alongside Amenhotep III's original statues, along with figures of his 17 sons. Following the colonnade deeper into the temple, two 6-meter-tall seated statues of Ramses II mark the exit of the first courtyard. The sides of their thrones feature exquisite reliefs depicting two Nile gods binding papyrus and lotus together, symbolizing the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. Next, we enter Amenhotep III's domain, starting with a row of towering columns. Though not as awe-inspiring as those in Karnak Temple, they possess their own unique beauty, especially when sunlight filters through, adding a mystical ambiance. Further in is Amenhotep III's Sun Court, a gift to the god Amun, surrounded on three sides by tall papyrus columns. It's said that the court transforms into a different spectacle when illuminated at night—unfortunately, we missed that experience. Luxor Temple has much more to explore, but due to time constraints and our growing fatigue from temple architecture and stone carvings, we concluded our visit rather quickly.