The Luxor Temple, one of the two main temples on the east bank of the Nile in Egypt, was built approximately 1400 BCE. It was dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship and was where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned.
The Luxor Temple in Thebes was built by Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty, Tutankhamun and Ramesses II, and was the home of the Roman government in the area.
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Luxor Temple Facts for Kids
- The temple was dedicated to the god Amun
- t was built around 1400 BCE.
- Egypt’s Luxor temple is one of the most visited sites.
- Also known as ‘The World’s Largest Outdoor Museum.’
- The structure used a technique known as symbolism or illusionism.
- Temple complexes around Luxor are most famous for the Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple.
- Amenhotep III began it, but Tutankhamun (and Horemheb) finished it. Ramses II added to it.
The Construction of the Temple
The Luxor Temple was built with Nubian sandstone from the Gebel el-Silsila area in South-Western Egypt. The layout of the temple made it appear that the obelisks flanking the entrance were of equal height.
The complex is made out of sandstone blocks from Nubia in southwest Egypt, and the walls are made of mud brick.
The Excavation of the Temple
The Luxor Temple was excavated by Professor Gaston Maspero between 1884 and 1960. Professor Maspero was given permission by the Egyptian Minister of Public Works, and compensation was negotiated for the pieces of land covered by the houses and dependencies.
Festivals at the Temple
The Luxor Temple, dedicated to the Theban Triad, was the site of the annual festival of the Opet Festival, where a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile. The temple was dedicated to the cult of the royal Ka.
The Avenue of Sphinxes
A barque shrine was set up on Luxor’s Avenue of Sphinxes. Six stations were set up for a ceremony, and a shrine was built to Serapis and Isis in the courtyard of Nectanebo I.
The Abu Haggag Mosque at the Temple
The Abu Haggag Mosque is located within the Luxor Temple, the oldest active mosque in the world, with more than 3,400 years of continuous religious worship.
