Luxor Temple : Luxor, Egypt 2007

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Karnak Temple : Luxor, Egypt : Trip Report

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Luxor Temple

After seeing the biggest and most impressive temple in all of Egypt, how can you top it? Well, you can't, but Luxor Temple is a close second. It's much smaller but no less impressive. Once again huge columns, large gates and enormous seated statues. This one however is right in downtown Luxor only a couple hundred yards from the hotel we stayed at, the Winter Palace. The two temples were originally connected by a path lined by 3,000 ram headed sphinxes.

The Luxor Temple was built on the east bank of the Nile primarily for the festival of Opet. The festival involved parading a statues of Amun from the nearby Karnak Temple to this temple. One thing you immediately notice is that there is an obelisk on one side of the main gate but not the other. The missing obelisk was given to France in 1829 where it now stands in Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Maybe because we got up before dawn but it was only the middle of the second day of viewing temples and we were already starting to get templed out. It was a very hazy day so even the pictures weren't that great.

The best part of the visit was running over to the falafel stand across the street from the exit of the temple and picking up a bunch of falafel sandwiches for the one hour drive to catch up with our boat.

Click on thumbnail for a full-size picture

Melanie, Lily and Greg in front of the temple.
Viewed: 41 times.
The first pylon with two statues of Ramses II.
Viewed: 43 times.
The remaining obelisk.
Viewed: 37 times.

Viewed: 36 times.
Side view of the seated statues.
Viewed: 38 times.
Entering the courtyard.
Viewed: 29 times.

Processional colonnade of 14 papyrus capital columns.
Viewed: 37 times.
The statues had the heads removed by the builders of the mosque.
Viewed: 32 times.
Abu Haggad mosque built on top of the temple.
Viewed: 38 times.

Viewed: 33 times.
Viewed: 34 times.
King Tut and his wife.
Viewed: 61 times.

Columns here were decorated by King Tutankhamun.
Viewed: 30 times.
Viewed: 23 times.
Viewed: 23 times.

Viewed: 25 times.
Viewed: 27 times.
Viewed: 25 times.

Viewed: 36 times.
Viewed: 27 times.
Antechamber with Roman style columns.
Viewed: 34 times.

Definitely not Egyptian.
Viewed: 26 times.
Roman stuccoes were placed on top of the Egyptian carvings.
Viewed: 39 times.
Viewed: 30 times.

Inside the very dark antechamber.
Viewed: 33 times.
Viewed: 33 times.
This is supposed to be King Tut's cartouche.
Viewed: 38 times.

Another rare appearance in a picture.
Viewed: 41 times.
The three small chapels behind the first pylon.
Viewed: 32 times.
Viewed: 35 times.

Looking back from a distance.
Viewed: 40 times.
Sphinx Avenue.
Viewed: 48 times.
The temple from the falafel stand.
Viewed: 44 times.

Click on thumbnail for a full-size picture
Melanie, Lily and Greg in front of the temple. Viewed: 41 times.	The first pylon with two statues of Ramses II. Viewed: 43 times.	The remaining obelisk. Viewed: 37 times.
Viewed: 36 times.	Side view of the seated statues. Viewed: 38 times.	Entering the courtyard. Viewed: 29 times.
Processional colonnade of 14 papyrus capital columns. Viewed: 37 times.	The statues had the heads removed by the builders of the mosque. Viewed: 32 times.	Abu Haggad mosque built on top of the temple. Viewed: 38 times.
Viewed: 33 times.	Viewed: 34 times.	King Tut and his wife. Viewed: 61 times.
Columns here were decorated by King Tutankhamun. Viewed: 30 times.	Viewed: 23 times.	Viewed: 23 times.
Viewed: 25 times.	Viewed: 27 times.	Viewed: 25 times.
Viewed: 36 times.	Viewed: 27 times.	Antechamber with Roman style columns. Viewed: 34 times.
Definitely not Egyptian. Viewed: 26 times.	Roman stuccoes were placed on top of the Egyptian carvings. Viewed: 39 times.	Viewed: 30 times.
Inside the very dark antechamber. Viewed: 33 times.	Viewed: 33 times.	This is supposed to be King Tut's cartouche. Viewed: 38 times.
Another rare appearance in a picture. Viewed: 41 times.	The three small chapels behind the first pylon. Viewed: 32 times.	Viewed: 35 times.
Looking back from a distance. Viewed: 40 times.	Sphinx Avenue. Viewed: 48 times.	The temple from the falafel stand. Viewed: 44 times.

Next: Aboard the Sunray for the Nile River Cruise.

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