The temple complexes of Luxor and Karnak are the main attractions of Luxor, or, as it is called, “Cities of the Living”. Luxor is located on the right bank of the river. Nile, on the site of the former capital of ancient Egypt, the city of Thebes.
The modern city of Luxor is a residential area with shops, hotels, the oldest numerous monuments and restaurants, where Luxor and Karnak temples occupy a special place, in addition, they are closely watched by tourists who relax in the resorts of Egypt.
These temples are interconnected by a 3-kilometer alley of sphinxes. This is all that remains of the famous Corridor of the Light, which once combined temple complexes into one ensemble.
Luxor Temple: Description
It is a pearl among the remaining architectural monuments of Ancient Egypt. This is a vivid example of the power of the pharaohs, sustained in the traditions of urban planning of those years. Of course, the monument to this day is not preserved in its original form, although on some columns you can still see traces of the original paint, while in the dilapidated church there is an opportunity to make out the outlines of its halls. The Luxor Temple of ancient Egypt impresses with its scale, perfection of form and grandeur, as well as the harmony of architecture with the landscape, which even the proximity to modern Luxor could not spoil.
Construction
The temple is located on the site of Thebes - the ancient capital of Egypt. He is dedicated to three deities: Amon, Mut - his wife, and Khons - their son. Its construction began during the reign of Amenhotep III, but two hundred years before that, Thutmose III and Hatshepsut built a small sanctuary, visited on the Feast of Opet. Although it was Amenhotep III who immortalized his name thanks to the construction of this complex.
The architects of the pharaoh began construction from the interior (hypostyle hall, lobby and sanctuary), then to the north they created an inner courtyard surrounded by columns in the form of bundles of papyrus stems. The famous Precession Colonnade, consisting of 12-meter columns in the form of blooming papyrus flowers, is also the work of the architects of the pharaoh. The columns, in addition, are decorated with hieroglyphs that tell of the god Amun.
The Luxor Temple in Luxor continued to build the pharaoh Ramses II, known for his monuments in ancient Egypt. Its architects erected a huge pillar surrounded by statues of the pharaoh and 74 columns. The most notable are the figure of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. With their greatness, 6 statues of the pharaoh shock, as if protruding from the shadows of the temple. A truly sinister effect is achieved with moonlight at night.
Ancient monuments
Despite the fact that the Luxor Temple in Egypt is a historical monument and is impressive even from afar with its grandeur and tranquility, there are also a huge number of cultural values on its territory. For example, the frescoes that have survived to this day amaze everyone’s imagination with the stories about which they tell, and the ornate forms. The most valuable is the relief, telling that the pharaoh was born from the god Amon, who found the most beautiful woman and, turning in the form of her husband, conceived with her a child - the future Amenhotep III. The whole pantheon of gods presented gifts to the newborn, which gave him prosperity, strength, eternal memory and glory.
At the entrance to the Luxor Temple in Egypt, there is a pink granite obelisk, as well as two statues of Ramses II. From the very beginning, two obelisks decorated the entrance, only in 1819 one of them was presented to the king of France. The Luxor Temple itself begins with a pylon decorated with frescoes that describe the victory over the Hittites. Further, the rest of the pharaohs on the pylon captured their victories.
Another attraction of the temple are the alleys of the sphinxes connecting the main building with the temples of the goddess Mut and Khons. Sphinxes as if guarding the path of the pharaoh, their absolute tranquility first of all speaks of peace and security of the living and the dead.
Alexander the Great
The Luxor Temple, a photo of which can be viewed in this article, did not ignore Alexander the Great, the great conqueror. During his reign, he was able to add touches to this ancient monument. So, the Luxor Temple was added to the back of the temple in his honor. Roman stucco molding was also placed on top of the Egyptian frescoes in the interior of the complex, despite the fact that local priests tried their best to resist such "improvements."
Muslim monument
Luxor Temple is also interesting by the mosque of Abu al-Haggag. It stands out from the entire ensemble of attractions. This is a monument to the saint, who during the pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca was able to save animals and people from death. The legend says that when the caravan moved through the desert, risking death due to thirst, the saint began to pray to Allah, and that bottle filled his water. So the saint drank the whole caravan that saved him from death.
According to another version, Abu al-Haggag married Princess Tarze. After that, he promised himself that he should die only in the Luxor Temple. Only the disease overtook him far from here. Then the Lord sent two angels to him, who carried him home. On the very spot where they left the saint, they built a mosque.
At the moment, on the roof of the mosque is a Nile boat. Every year before the spill of the Nile, it is removed and painted. Then an honorary escort with her bypass all nearby fields. This escort includes sixty foot soldiers and two police officers, followed by camels in blankets, decorated with bells and feathers. Then the descendants of the saint and members of the religious fraternity join the procession. This procession is a reminder of ancient rites that are dedicated to the fertility of the earth.
Luxor Temple is a historical monument. Despite the fact that he is “squeezed” from all sides by the city with its shops and noisy streets, the sanctuary of the ancient gods still amazes the imagination with its unearthly calm, grandeur, inner harmony and grandeur ...
Famous Karnak Temple
It is a complex measuring 700 m by 1.5 km, including 33 temples, as well as halls. It has been modified and supplemented for 2,000 years. Each pharaoh in the temple tried to contribute, immortalizing his name in it.
Temple structure
It includes 3 parts:
- The central part is the temple of Amon Ra, dedicated to the god Amon. This is the most interesting and large building here, which began to be built during the reign of Amenhotep the Third;
- To the north are the ruins of the Montu Temple;
- Further south is the Mut Temple, dedicated to the wife of Amun-Ra and Queen Mut.
The complex underwent significant changes during the reign of Ramses I, II, III, Amenhotep III, Queen Hatshepsut, Thutmose I and III, Ptolemy and the Libyan kings of the 22nd dynasty.
During the reign of Hatshepsut, 2 giant 30-meter obelisks created in her honor, as well as 8 pylons, were installed in the temple of Amon.
Under Thutmose III, the complex was built up with walls, while images of the victories of the people of Egypt were painted on the bas-reliefs.
Sacred lake
A little south of the temple is the Sacred Lake. It is a pond of ablution, next to which a column was installed, which is crowned by a huge scarab beetle. It is worth noting that for the ancient Egyptians, he was a symbol of prosperity.
Karnak Temple, like most of Egypt's sights, was under a layer of sand until the 19th century, although now it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
Karnak and Luxor temples take the 2nd place in popularity and attendance among tourists who relax in Egyptian resorts. An excursion to Luxor will take you to the past, which is hidden today in wall paintings and letters. Such a trip will leave many unforgettable and vivid impressions!