The Temple of Luxor:

  • Whose idea was it to build the Luxor Temple, and why?
  • What ceremonies took place inside the temple?
  • There must be an answer to these questions.

Egypt is full of mysteries, delicious food, friendly people, exciting cities, and artifacts from the advanced civilization of the ancient Egyptians. Egypt’s city of Luxor and its many old buildings, like the Temple of Karnak and, of course, the Luxor Temple, are some of the most beautiful places in the world. Even though Luxor has a lot more to offer than just the Luxor Temple, that is still the most prominent place to visit.

Even the Temple of Luxor, which dates back to the time of the Pharaohs in Egypt, is shrouded in mystery. Today, we’ll do everything we can to give you all the information you need and give you more reasons to visit the beautiful city of Luxor in Egypt.

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Where to find the famous Luxor Temple in Egypt?

Luxor Temple
Two statues of Ramesses II at the entrance to Luxor Temple

The Egyptian temple complex, the best of the best, is located on the east bank of the Nile. You can get there by plane within an hour from Cairo, by car within three hours from Hurghada, and by car within the same period from Aswan. It is possible to reach everywhere in Egypt by road.

The ancient Egyptians called this temple “Pet Sanctuary,” which means “Southern Sanctuary.” It is just one of the many old buildings and temples on the east and west banks of the Nile. On the other hand, Luxor Temple differs from other temples of its time because it is not dedicated to a single deity or a single religion. Instead, it is supposed to keep the royal institution alive.

Who is responsible for the Luxor Temple’s construction and the surrounding area’s excavations?

Archaeological excavations have shown that this vast Temple was built around 1400 BC. Amenhotep III of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Tutankhamun, and Ramses II, in that order, were responsible for the project. The building was built of sandstone in the Jabal al-Silsila region in western Egypt. The name of this type of sandstone is Nubian sandstone.

Many signs and optical illusions around Luxor Temple are related to the Sphinx. Perspective distortion makes objects appear the same height when they are not. For example, the two obelisks on both sides of the entrance seem to be the same height.

The front of the colossal Temple is about 213 feet wide and spans more than 850 feet. Passing through the main entrance to the building, you reach a large courtyard built by Ramses II and used by the Romans as a chapel.

Villagers who knew the area around the Temple before they found it by chance may be given credit for making the first official discovery of the building. On the other hand, Gaston Maspero led the first official excavation of the Luxor Temple in 1884, when he obtained permission to start construction.

They dug a lot until 1960. Recently, the Maspero Foundation was permitted to raise funds to negotiate compensation for areas of land seized by residents. These talks will take place shortly.

Why did people build the Temple in the first place?

Luxor Temple
Road of Rams in Temple of Luxor

As was said earlier, the Luxor Temple did not honor a single king or goddess. Instead, it respected a whole host of ancient Egyptian deities. However, this building was created to show respect for the Theban Trinity’s rebirth of the Royal Ka cult.

During the Opet festival, centered in the Karnak temple, a statue of Amun was carried on a raft down the Nile from a place near the Temple to the Valley of the Kings. This happened on the other side of the river. Another essential part of the Temple that visitors should not miss is the shrine stations. Between Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple, you can see the Nectanebo line of the Sphinx with human heads.

Last but not least, it is believed that many Egyptian kings and queens were crowned in this Temple. People thought that the Kamari station, which was responsible for cooling the oar of Amun, was one of the essential parts of the Temple. The site of the Temple, which is surrounded by a legionary fortress and was the center of Roman government for most of its life, makes it a masterpiece of the Pharaonic era. Because of this, the Temple could stand still for a long time.

Luxor is the only place in Egypt that tourists cannot miss because it has many historical sites and pleasant weather all year round. Luxor Temple is the center of all activities and attractions in Luxor.

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