Around Africa: Part Eleven

In which I explored Luxor Temple

17.12.2023: Tour Day 6, City 9

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. The active Abu Haggag Mosque is located within the temple, standing on the ancient columns themselves. 

That part of the temple was converted to a church by the Romans in 395 AD, and then to a mosque around 1,200.

First Pylon

The entrance is also known as the Pylon of Rameses II, was flanked by six massive statues of Ramesses, two seated and four standing. One of the of the two granite obelisks of Ramesses, the other now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The pylon was half buried in sand until the 1880s but when cleared it revealed two towers measuring 24 meters high and 65 meters wide. They are carved in sunken relief depicting Ramesses at the battle of Kadesh.

Theban Triad Shrine

The Shrines of Theban Triad, originally built by Hatshepsut and later renovated by Tuthmosis III. These may have held the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu gods of the cult of the Royal Ka. These are located just behind the first pylon in the great perstyle court of Ramesses II.

Serapis Chapel

The Chapel of Serapis, built by Hadrian in the court of Nectanebo I. Built using burnt brick and was dedicated to the god Serapis, is the only one remaining of all Roman structures. Serapeum was built in a Peripteros-temple style (a type of ancient Greek or Roman temple surrounded by a portico with columns), unlike most Roman sanctuaries of Sarapis and Isis, which are prostyle, with columns in front.

Peristyle Courtyard

The peristyle courtyard built by Ramesses the second (replacing an earlier court thought to have been constructed by Amenhotep III) was set at an angle to the rest of the temple. The court is composed of a colonnade around the central open area including a number of colossal statues of Ramesses II and abu al-Haggag Mosque. The great Court of Rameses II is 188 feet (57 m) long and 168 feet (51 m) wide. Seventy four papyrus columns, with bud capitals surround it and in the Northwest corner of the court there is a shrine of Thutmose III, dedicated to Theban triad.

Processional Colonnade

It is of Amenhotep III with the granite colossi of Ramesses the Great flanking the entrance. The Colonnade of Amenhotep III has seven pairs of 52 foot (16m) high open-flower papyrus columns, which still support their huge architrave blocks. The reliefs on the walls of the hall bear the names of Tutankhamun, Horemheb, Seti I, Rameses II and Seti II. Tutankhamun decorated the eastern walls but Horemheb later erased the name of the boy king, and inscribed his own.

Sun Court of Amenhotep III

Peristyle sun court built by Amenhotep III features double rows of papyrus columns with barque shrines for Mut and Khonsu at the southern end. Decorations depict the coronation of Amenhotep III by the gods. To the right is the 32 columned vestibule which allows access to the inner santum of the temple. The Court of Amonhotep III measures 148 feet long by 184 feet wide, with double rows of papyrus columns on three sides. The northern end was originally the entrance to the temple.

Shrine of Alexander the Great

The shrine was rededicated to Alexander the Great after it was reconstructed by him. Its present shape was given by Alexander, but he used the original plans of Amenhotep III, his alterations were to remove 4 columns and add a granite shrine. Representations in this chamber depict Amenhotep III or Alexander the Great standing before figures of the ithyphallic Amun.

We boarded the bus and were back to the cruise by 8:15pm and had dinner at 8:30pm. 

Post dinner we thought there might be some event but it was music playing along the night. Most of the explorers dozed off for they had to wake up early morning. This was our last night on the cruise. I played pool game for an hour and then dozed off at 10pm.

Read next: Around Africa: Part Twelve