Luxor Temple

Through time

The story

The Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was constructed around 1400 BC. In Egyptian it was known as ipet resyt, "the southern sanctuary". It was one of the two primary temples on the east bank, the other being Karnak.

Unlike the other temples in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to a cult god or a deified version of the pharaoh in death. Instead, Luxor temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned in reality or conceptually (as in the case of Alexander the Great, who claimed he was crowned at Luxor but may never have traveled south of Memphis, near modern Cairo).

To the rear of the temple are chapels built by Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty, and Alexander. Other parts of the temple were built by Tutankhamun and Ramesses II. During the Roman era, the temple and its surroundings were a legionary fortress and the home of the Roman government in the area. During the Roman period a chapel inside the Luxor Temple originally dedicated to the goddess Mut was transformed into a Tetrarchy cult chapel and later into a church.

Along with the other archaeological sites in Thebes, the Luxor Temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

What you will see

1. First Pylon
2. Colonnade of Amenhotep III
3. Avenue of Sphinxes

Before you go

• Check opening hours and ticket rules shortly before your visit — they change seasonally.
• Plan for the heat. Most ancient sites have little shade; go early or late.
• Respect the barriers. Fragile surfaces are protected for the next visitors.