This is one of the must-see places during your stay in the City of Lúxor. Located in the very center of the city and on the east bank of the Nile River, in what in ancient times and at the height of the empire was the center of Thebes, the capital of the pharaohs.
History
It is one of the most significant ruins of the Egyptian empire, but in addition, the Temple of Luxor also houses the footprint of the passage of other civilizations. Built between 1400 and 1000 B.C. by the pharaohs Amenhotep III (the inner part of the temple) and Ramses II (the outer sector, facade, colossus and obelisks), the Greeks, Romans, Christians and Muslims also passed through, each leaving the architectural mark of their respective deities. All this makes the Temple of Luxor a unique jewel with marks of 3500 years of diverse religious cults.
It is believed that this temple was the idea of the famous architect Amenhotep and that it coincides with the classical constructions of the Egyptian empire: a large courtyard, vestibule, hypostyle hall and a sanctuary. The entire length of the temple is 260 meters.
During your visit to the Temple of Luxor you can see the pyramidal pylon that recounts the battle of Qadesh, fought by Ramses II against the Hittites and where the pharaoh is represented in a grandiloquent way and the victors are ants at his feet. All this, decorated with Pentaur’s poem glorifying the courage of the pharaoh during the battle. The seated statues of Ramses II are also decorated with images of prisoners representing the nine peoples conquered by Egypt.
In the first courtyard of the temple there are 74 papyrus-shaped columns showing Ramses II interacting with different gods of the Egyptian pantheon. Then come the hypostyle hall and the rest of the rooms: the vestibule with images of Roman emperors superimposed on those of the pharaohs, the room of offerings with images dedicated to Amun and Min, the room of the birth and the sanctuary.
Curiosities of the Temple of Luxor
- More inside, more seniority. Egyptian temples used to be built from the inside out, so the oldest part of the Temple of Luxor is the one at the back.
- Tutankhamun is also here. In one of the rooms, there is a statue of the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun, who died young with his wife.
- A temple for many cults. As Ancient Egypt underwent invasions, this temple added a religious and therefore architectural layer. It was conceived to worship the most important god of the Egyptian pantheon, Amun-Ra, and in the time of Ptolemy Serapis was worshipped, a god that unified the Egyptian tradition with the Greek. When the Romans arrived, a chapel was installed here for the Emperor Augustus, who became a god. With the arrival of Christianity, churches were built around the enclosure and, later, a mosque was built after the Islamization of the country.
- 3 km of sphinxes. Towards both sides of the entrance of the temple there are rows of human sphinxes with rams’ heads that reach up to the Temple of Karnak. It is believed that there were about 1400 of these statues along 3 km, a passage for processions that today is known as the Avenue of the Sphinxes.
- A gift for the French. The obelisk on the Place de la Concorde in Paris comes from the Temple of Luxor and was a gift that Mohammed Ali made to the French government in 1836. It was originally located at the entrance to the temple.
How to get to the Temple of Luxor
You can get to Luxor by direct flight or train from different cities in Egypt: Alexandria, Cairo, Hurghada. In case you cruise the Nile from south to north, you will reach Luxor by boat from Aswan.
Timetables of the Temple of Luxor
The temple is open every day from 6 am to 10 pm and an estimated time of 3 hours is calculated to see it well, although you may not have so much time if you have hired a guided tour within the Nile cruise package.
At night it is illuminated and it is less hot, so it is the ideal time to see the Temple. In case you visit it during the day, it is best to go early in the morning, since after 10 am the heat starts to be intense. And, of course, don’t forget to wear sunscreen, cover your head and bring a bottle of water.
Prices of the visit to the Temple of Luxor
General admission to the temple costs 40 EGP (Egyptian pounds) and 20 EGP if you present your international student card. To this must be added the price you pay for the guided tour, in case you decide to take one, the prices range from 100 EGP to 150 EGP. And as with the vast majority of archaeological sites in Egypt, you will have to buy a ticket to take photos, which costs 20 EGP.
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