Luxor Temple

Page 1: Luxor Temple

  • Located on the east bank of the Nile in the center of the city, south of the Karnak complex

  • Dedicated to the triad of Thebes: Amun-Re, Mut, and Khonsu

  • Historical background:

    • Possible use during the Middle Kingdom

    • Built by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II

    • Work continued by Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemoheb, and Seti I

    • Additions made by Merenptah, Seti II, Ramesses III, Ramesses IV, and Ramesses V

    • Repairs by Semendes of the 21st dynasty and additions by kings of the 25th and 30th dynasties

    • Additions made during the Graeco-Roman period

    • Churches and a mosque were erected within the temple

  • Temple is parallel to the river aligned north-south

Page 2: Avenue of Sphinxes and 1st Pylon

  • Avenue of Sphinxes:

    • Begins before entering the main body of the temple to the north

    • Started in the New Kingdom, completed in the 30th dynasty

    • Extends for about 2.7 km, flanked by human-headed sphinxes

    • Paved with limestone slabs

    • Structures at the corners:

      • Eastern corner: remains of a small chapel of Taharka (25th dynasty) dedicated to Hathor

      • Western corner: chapel built by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD dedicated to Serapis, with a statue of Isis

  • 1st Pylon:

    • Ramesses II erected two obelisks before building the pylon

    • Eastern obelisk still in place (25m in height & 256 tons ), western obelisk now in Paris(22m in height & 227 tons)

    • Six colossal statues of Ramesses II in front of the pylon (2 seated &4 striding ones)

    • Seated statue on the left depicts a princess and queen Nefertari

    • Scenes of the Sema-Tawy on the throne

    • Four striding statues, three restored by April 2019

Page 3: 1st Pylon and Open Court of Ramesses II

  • 1st Pylon:

    • Measures 24 m in height and 65 m in width , in each tower there are niches & recesses for flagpoles

    • Facade is Carved in sunken relief with scenes of the battle of Kadesh

    • Scenes badly damaged

    • Western tower depicts the Egyptian camp, eastern tower depicts the battle

    • Jambs of the gateway show Ramesses II before Amun and Amunet

  • Open Court of Ramesses II:

    • Located behind the 1st pylon

    • Measures about 57 m X 51 m

    • Double row of 74 papyrus bud columns around the four sides

    • Columns decorated with scenes of Ramesses II and deities

    • Standing colossal statues of Ramesses II between the columns in the southern half

    • Outer walls depict scenes of Ramesses II's campaigns against the Hittites in Syria

  • Reason for the change of the temple's axis:

    • Hypotheses: inclusion of an earlier triple shrine and alignment with the processional way to Karnak temple

    • Triple shrine for the triad of Thebes in the north-western corner of the court

    • Originally built by Hatshepsut, usurped by Thutmosis III, and restored by Ramesses II

Page 4:

  • The north-east corner of the court is occupied by the mosque of Abu El-Haggag

    • The mosque was built on the ground level that buried the court

  • The most interesting scene on the inner walls of the court is at the south-western corner

    • It shows a collection of bulls being led to the temple for sacrifice

    • 17 sons of Ramesses II are depicted approaching the temple

  • At the rear of the court, there are 2 colossal seated statues for Ramesses II

    • They might have been originally carved for Amenhotep III but later usurped by Ramesses II

Colonnade of Amenhotep III:

  • Built by Amenhotep III

  • Has 14 large columns with open papyrus capitals arranged in two rows

  • Scenes on the walls depict the Opet festival

  • Scenes on the west walls show the procession from Karnak temple to Luxor temple

  • Scenes on the east walls show the festivities in Luxor temple and the return journey to Karnak temple

Page 5:

  • Scenes on the west walls of the colonnade:

    • Tutankhamen greeting the deities in Karnak temple

    • Priests carrying the sacred barks out of Karnak temple

    • People clapping hands, acrobats performing, musicians, people dancing

    • Sacrifice of slaughtered animals

    • Offerings being made to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu at Luxor temple

  • Scenes on the east walls of the colonnade:

    • Sacrifice of bulls, standard bearers, and dancers

    • Barks being directed downstream

    • Final sacrifice and offerings made to the triad of Thebes at Karnak temple

  • Only the lowest registers of these walls have been preserved

  • The ancient festival of the Opet has survived in the modern festival of Mowled Abu El-Haggag

Page 6: Sun court of Amenhotep III

  • Lies south the colonade

  • Measures 45×56m

  • Has a double row of 60 papyrus bud bundle columns on three sides

  • There were originally roofing blocks above the colonnades ,while the central part was open to the sky

  • Walls of the court of Amenhotep III are poorly preserved

  • In 1989, a deep pit containing 26 statues was discovered in the western side of the court

  • Ceremonies have been performed in this court, including a 'crossed-oar ceremony' and rock concerts

Page 7: The hypostyle hall

  • The Hypostyle Hall is located at the southern end of the court

  • It contains 32 papyrus bundle columns arranged in four rows

  • The hall was originally roofed, but the roof no longer survives

  • The eastern wall of the hypostyle hall has offerings scenes

  • The southern end of the hall leads to four rooms, including chapels for Khonsu and Mut

  • The First Antechamber originally had 8 columns and served as a bark shrine

  • During the Roman period, it was turned into a chapel for the Roman imperial cult

  • The walls were covered with Pharaonic scenes, but later covered with plaster and painted with Roman scenes

  • The south doorway of the room was blocked by an apse, which is covered with scenes of Roman emperors

  • The 2nd Antechamber has 4 pillars and is known as the offering vestibule

  • Offerings scenes are depicted on the walls

Page 8:

  • The 3rd Antechamber (Barque Chapel of Alexander the Great)

    • Located behind the Offering Vestibule

    • Known as the sanctuary of the sacred barque or the barque shrine of Amun Re

    • Room with 4 pillars defining the space for the sacred bark of Amun during the Opet-festival

    • Later replaced by a shrine built by Alexander the Great, sometimes referred to as "Alexander's Room"

    • Scene on the walls depicting Alexander the Great as a pharaoh making offerings to Amun-Re

    • Small room built into the wall above the doorway, believed to be a hiding place for a priest during ceremonies or a secret store for ceremonial objects

  • The Birth Room and the Coronation Room

    • Located to the east of the third antechamber

    • Scenes of the Coronation Room have fallen off

    • The Birth Room has a roof supported by 3 papyrus bud capitals

    • West wall of the Birth Room depicts the story of the divine birth of Amenhotep III

    • Scenes can be read from bottom to top and from north to south

Page 9:

  • Scenes in the Birth Room

    • Bottom Register:

      • Mutemwiya embraced by Hathor in the presence of Amun-Re

      • Thoth leading Amun-Re to the queen's room, where Amun transforms into Tuthmosis IV

      • Tuthmosis IV sitting with the queen on the pt-sign, held by two goddesses (Serqet and Neith), and holding an ankh-sign near the queen's nostrils

      • Amun-Re reveals his divine origin to the queen and tells her that she will bear a child named Amenhotep III who will rule the two lands

      • Amun-Re gives orders to Khunm to fashion two figures on his potter's wheel: one for the king and one for his ka

    • Middle Register:

      • Thoth informs the queen about her pregnancy

      • The queen is taken by Khnum and Hathor to the birth room

      • The Birth Scene: the queen sitting on the birth chair, attended by figures including Khnum, Sobek, Bes, and Taweret

      • The baby is presented to Amun-Re

    • Upper Register:

      • Nursing the child: the child is nursed by cow goddesses, while the queen watches

      • Amenhotep III represented as a fully grown man being purified and blessed by the gods

Page 10:

  • The Transverse Hall

    • Accessed through a doorway from the 3rd antechamber

    • Has 12 columns

    • Sometimes called the Hall of Hours, as scenes of the hours of the days and nights are depicted on the east and west walls

  • The Sanctuary

    • Entrance leading to the sanctuary has a scene of the king in front of a tree before Amun-Re, followed by the goddesses of the south and north (Nekhbet and Wadjet)

    • Sanctuary has 4 columns and is flanked by 2 other rooms, each with 2 columns

    • Bench in the sanctuary for