Luxor (الأقصر) | East bank
- Maximus Nostramabus
- Jun 14
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 6
Great temples of the ancient world connecting with the universe - Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis 87
What and Why
When I saw these two temples in front of my eyes the first time, I was so in awe that time literally stopped for a few minutes. Simply unbelievable to know that these temples were built more than 3,500 years ago, so definitely classified in my list of monuments that you have to see it yourself to genuinely absorb it!
The monumental landscape of Luxor (Arabic: الأقصر, Al'Uqsar) is anchored by two of the most ambitious and unparalleled religious complexes ever built: the Karnak (الكرنك, Al-Kurnak) temple and the Luxor (الأقصر) temple. Situated on the eastern bank of the Nile (Latin: Nilus), to contrast those blogged in Luxor (الأقصر) | West Bank which were symbolic of afterlife, these stone structures functioned not merely as places of prayer, but more importantly as the cosmic engines of life of the New Egyptian Kingdom (Egyptian: Tawy) (1570 - 1069 BCE). Also distinct from the West Bank, both temples are not dedicated to any cult deities, pharaoh (Egyptian: pr ꜥꜣ) or royalties in death. Instead they highlight and celebrate the general concept of life, religion and kingship. They were centres of political authority, economic activities, royal propaganda, and ceremonial performance. In fact these temples and the region have been representing these facets of life throughout the ages, including today where most of the settlements and hotel facilities are located. I have to really say that the grandeur and size of these temples really got the better of me, and I naturally became hugely respectful to them.
Toponymy
As blogged in Luxor (الأقصر) | West Bank, the city name Luxor derives from its Arabic form as 'الأقصر', meaning 'castles'.
The Luxor temple was called 'Ipet resyt' in Egyptian with a surprisingly bland meaning of 'the southern sanctuary'.
Karnak is named after a nearby village El-Karnak (الكرنك, Al-Kurnak), which means 'fortified village' in Arabic. The original name of the temple was 'Ipet-isut' in ancient Egyptian, meaning 'the most select of places'. Again a name without much hyperbole compared with those pharaoh pyramids and tombs.
See
We followed a walking route from south to north, departing from our cruise ship. Both temples sit along the corniche.
Luxor (الأقصر)
Once you are at the entrance the single obelisk and the imposing pylon with the six standing or sitting statues of Ramesses II (né Ramesses Meri Amun (Egyptian: Rˁ msj sw mrj Jmn)). Yes all six of them, remembering that Ramesses II was never a pharaoh who stayed away from hyperbolic demagoguery and ego-centrism, reminding me of a certain president of our modern times. To add to this self-absorption, the relief depicts the Battle of Qadesh (معركة قادش, Maerakat Qadish), blogged in Abu Simbel (أبو سمبل). Recalling that Ramesses almost lost this war, but he depicted it as him charging into battle single-handedly, his chariot horses scattering enemies.
As you can see the temple was supposed to have two obelisks, the other one was gifted to France in 1830 when Ottoman Egypt (Ottoman Turkish: ایالت مصر, Eyālet-i Mıṣr) officially presented both obelisks as a diplomatic gesture to strengthen ties between the two nations. However due to the huge cost of transportations, only one was presented to France, which is now standing at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. I could not help but looked in disbelief by the elegance and authority of the temple pylon.
The temple was originally dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun (Egyptian: Jmn), Mut (Egyptian: Mwt) and Khonsu (Egyptian: Ḫnsw), the temple was largely completed by Amenhotep III (Egyptian: Jmn ḥtp) and modified and refurbished during Ramesses II's reign. The temple and the site was abandoned since the 3rd century, and engulfed under a hill of sand, almost covering the entire temple. This whole hill was filled with various shops, barracks, settlements and a whole pile of rubbish. It was only in the 1960s that a full excavation was completed.
Amongst the various buildings, the Abu Al-Haggag Mosque (مسجد أبو الحجا, Masjid 'Abu Al-Hajaaj) was built on the sandhill and foundations of the temple, almost right at its entrance. In fact that part of Luxor Temple was a church during the Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum) times and then converted to a bigger mosque around 640, and then the Abu Al-Haggag Mosque was built over it, making it fully integrated parasitically into Luxor Temple. Bizarre things do happen more than you believe.
The temple overall layout is quite simple, as shown above. It is designed to converge like a funnel where each successive courtyard becomes tighter and more exclusive.
Right behind the entrance is the courtyard of Ramesses II, as shown below. Many of the walls have been graffitied with Christian paintings during Roman times.
One interesting feature, although not noticeable to me was that the Ramesses courtyard is skewed against the main axis of the temple. It must be remembered that the temple was originally built with an almost strict north-south axis by Amenhotep III. Ramesses II added the grand courtyard and pylon entrance much later. Ramesses II deliberately skewed the courtyard at an angle to connect to the Avenue of Sphinxes (طريق الكباش, Tariq Al Kibash).
One of Luxor Temple's most elegant features is the great colonnade built under Amenhotep III. The 74 soaring columns, symbolising the papyrus plant, create a very powerful visual experience and demonstrate the sophistication of New Kingdom architecture. The columns shown reliefs depicting important religious ceremonies and royal events. Along the southern wall famously portrays a procession of 17 of Ramesses II's sons, complete with their names and titles. Absolutely stunning.
Leaving the Court of Ramesses II, we entered the Colonnade of Amenhotep III. This processional corridor consists of seven pairs of 16-m open-flower papyrus columns.
The space was designed to be a grand entrance hall that funnels into the inner temple. The interior walls of the colonnade are carved with extensive reliefs serving as a detailed, step-by-step manual of the Beautiful Opet festival (Egyptian: Ḥb nfr n Jpt), a festival celebrating
the fertility of Amun and the pharaoh. The festival coincided with the flooding of the Nile. The reliefs show the transport of the divine barques, the performance of sacrificial rites, and the processions celebrating the arrival of the deities. This is also the wall that was previously defaced by a Chinese tourist, although this is now partially repaired.
Deep within this inner core sit three highly significant rooms, one after the other. The first one is the Roman Imperial Cult (Latin: cultus imperatorius) chamber. The original pharaonic hall was converted by the Romans into an imperial cult sanctuary during the late 3rd century. The ancient hieroglyphs were covered with thick plaster and painted over with classical Roman frescoes depicting emperor Diocletian (Latin: Gaius Aurelius Diocletianus) and his co-rulers.
At the absolute centre of the inner temple sits the final resting place for the divine statue. Usually one would be expecting the holiest of holy or some sort of massive statue, perhaps I watched too much Indiana Jones! Turns out to be the ultimate anti-climax: the original shrine was damaged and completely rebuilt by Alexander the Great (Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος, Aléxandros) during his occupation of Egypt (مصر, Miṣr) during 332 BCE. The walls show Alexander dressed as a traditional pharaoh, desperate to secure the validation from Egyptian. History are full of demagogues and constantly repeating itself.
Avenue of Sphinxes (طريق الكباش)
Karnak
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
The two great temples, as mentioned are incredibly close to each other and are connected by the Avenue of Sphinxes. So naturally they would combine and form a full-day tour, as long as you can endure it, especially under the scorching sun. The entry fee for either temple is EGP £500, which is truly worth every penny. Usually the cruise ships will berth exactly near the Luxor temple.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Thebes, the city of the god Amon, was the capital of Egypt during the period of the Middle and New Kingdoms. With the temples and palaces at Karnak and Luxor, and the necropolises of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, Thebes is a striking testimony to Egyptian civilization at its height.
References
Egypt Monuments
Comments
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