- Luxor -
الأقصر

Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the Nile River in the center of the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes). The Temple was founded in 1400 BCE during the reign of Amenhotep III. The walls of the Temple are built with sandstone, delivered from the quarry area of Gebel el-Silsila. The total length of the Temple Complex makes 260 meters long.

Long before the construction of the Temple, this place was considered as the sacred place...

The beginning of the archaeological works at the area of the Temple belongs to the French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero, who started them in 1884. Excavation and restoration of the original appearance of the Temple continued up to the year 1960, as the Temple was drowning within the layers of many-centuries debris.

Two-kilometer Sphinx Alley, connecting Luxor and Karnak Temples is still at the stage of archaeological works.

There are four statues made of solid granite rock. They are located at the northern entrance to the Temple of Luxor. Right from the entrance to the Temple - there ia a granite obelisk. Originally, there were two of them, but in 1830 one of the obelisks was taken to Paris, and placed at the Place de la Concorde.

An interesting feature, inherit to the columns of the Temple, is a vertical line, passing through the entire height of each column from their bottom up to their capitals. This line is not a part of any aesthetic or bas-relief element, it is most likely related to the technology of building of the columns. This is evidenced by the fact that it crosses through the inscriptions and bas-reliefs paintings, decorating the columns of Luxor Temple.

Another important historical moment, one can see in Luxor Temple - is a fact of applying cartouches one upon another. The fact of replacing the names of the Kings can also be found in the Temple of the Kings at Abydos.

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