LUXOR TEMPLE
04.10.2010 - 04.10.2010
42 °C
The last temple that we visited in Egypt was the one right in the middle of Luxor. It was begun by Queen Hatshepsut and Thutmosis lll in 1400 BC, and also dedicated to the triad of Amun, Mut and their son, Khonsu.
The large entrance pylon built by Ramses ll.
Two remaining large statues of Ramses ll. Four others were never found. Note the crevices in the pylon wall which would have held cedarwood masts, flying pennants.
The side of his throne.
Just to show how big his toes are!
Ramses ll placed two red granite obelisks at the entrance. They were given to France in 1830, but as they weighed 250 tons each, only one was transported and now stands on Place de la Concorde, and the other one remains here at Luxor.
Looking through to the Peristyle Court of Ramses.
Columns in the Court, topped with papyrus buds.
This mosque was unwittingly built over the temple before it was excavated, and remains an active place of worship today.
The Court is surrounded by statues of Ramses lll.
Statues of Amun and Mut.
Workers restoring the columns in the Colonnade built by Amenhotep lll.
The Sun Court of Amenhotep lll.
Beyond the two courtyards, we found plenty of carved pictures on the walls.
Tefnout the lioness goddess.
The inner sanctuary towards the back had been modified by the occupying Roman legion so that they could worship their imperial cult. The walls here are painted over with typical Roman scenes.
Many building blocks had been moved around and reused, and as one can see, not always placed the right way up!
On returning to the front entrance, we now had a chance to get a closer look at the Avenue of Sphinxes. Note that these have human heads, in contrast to the ones discovered at the Karnak end, which have the heads of rams.
Posted by davidsandi 00:22 Archived in Egypt
